hermano mayor
/eɾmano maʝoɾ/from spelling rules
The Spanish phrase for elder brother is hermano mayor.
hermano mayor is used to describe a brother who is older than oneself.
What does it mean word for word?
The phrase is composed of hermano, meaning brother and mayor, meaning older or greater.
Is it said differently in some regions?
In some Spanish-speaking regions, hermano primogénito is a variation used to express the notion of being the firstborn or eldest sibling.
How does it change in a sentence?
The plural form hermanos mayores can refer to a group of elder brothers or a mixed-gender group of elder siblings.
How do you pronounce it?
/eɾmano maʝoɾ/
Did you know?
- The word hermano comes from the Latin germānus, which is the same root that gives English the word 'germane'.
- Spanish once used the word fradre for brother, but it was eventually replaced by hermano.
- Using el mayor on its own is a common shorthand in Spanish conversations to refer to the eldest child of a family without saying hermano.
Examples in context
- Ella adora a su hermano mayor.She adores her elder brother.This sentence is useful for showing how to express affection for an elder brother.Tatoeba #4677035 by marcelostockle, translation #313376 by sundown
- Mi hermano mayor obtuvo un puesto en un gran negocio.My elder brother got a position in a big business.This sentence is useful for showing how to mention an elder brother's professional achievement.Tatoeba #1349489 by marcelostockle, translation #237890 by Swift
- Mi hermano mayor es muy alto, mide alrededor de un metro ochenta.My elder brother is really tall, about 1.8m.This sentence is useful for describing the physical height of an elder brother.Tatoeba #2444123 by Shishir, translation #237894 by hectorvk
- Quisiera presentarles a mi hermano mayor, Juan.Allow me to introduce you to my elder brother, Juan.
- 1 more sentence on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Lucía and Javier are looking at an old family photo.
- Lucía¿Quién es el chico de la foto?Who is the boy in the photo?
- JavierÉl es mi hermano mayor, Javier.He is my elder brother, Javier.
- Lucía¿Él también vive en esta ciudad?Does he also live in this city?
- JavierNo, mi hermano mayor vive en Madrid.No, my elder brother lives in Madrid.
Sources
- IPA marked “from spelling rules” is derived from standard Spanish spelling, where Wiktionary gives none.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries hermano, mayor, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
