哥们
gē men
In Chinese, the phrase "bruh" can be expressed as 哥们 (gē men).
It is used to express amazement, shock or exasperation. To convey the specific "bruh" feeling of disbelief, the word is often spoken with a trailing, drawn-out tone, such as 哥们…
Meaning: amazement or shock (intj)
What does it mean word for word?
The first character 哥 (gē) literally means "older brother."
How do you pronounce it?
gē men
When do people say it?
A slang expression similar to "bruh" used among friends or acquaintances is 哥们儿 (gē men er). Another term you may encounter is 老铁 (lǎo tiě), which literally translates to "old iron."
Did you know?
- While 哥们 is masculine, it is occasionally used by women in very casual youth circles to project a 'one of the boys' attitude.
- In certain online communities, using 老铁 (lǎo tiě) can feel more like a performer addressing an audience than a friend addressing a peer.
- The term 哥 (gē) is part of a complex system of kinship terms used even for strangers, where calling someone 'older brother' establishes a specific level of social closeness.
Examples in context
- 嘿，老铁，最近过得怎么样？(Hēi, lǎo tiě, zuì jìn guò de zěn me yàng?)Hey, bruh, how have you been lately?
- 哥们儿，你有空帮我个忙吗？(Gē men er, nǐ yǒu kòng bāng wǒ gè máng ma?)Bruh, do you have a moment to help me out?
- 哥们, 你认真的吗？Gēmen, nǐ rènzhēn de ma?Bruh, are you serious?
- 这太离谱了, 哥们。Zhè tài lípǔ le, gēmen.This is too ridiculous, bruh.
- 哥们, 你居然做了这件事？Gēmen, nǐ jūrán zuò le zhè jiàn shì?Bruh, you actually did this?
Example conversation
Two friends are looking at a very expensive menu.
- 浩然 Haoran哥们，这个汉堡要一百块？Gēmen, zhège hànbǎo yào yìbǎi kuài?Bruh, this burger is a hundred yuan?
- 梓涵 Zihan是的，价格太夸张了。Shì de, jiàgé tài kuāzhāng le.Yeah, the price is outrageous.
- 浩然 Haoran我们换一家店吧。Wǒmen huàn yìjiā diàn ba.Let's go to a different place.
- 梓涵 Zihan我也这么想。Wǒ yě zhème xiǎng.I think so too.
