おい兄弟
oi kyoudai
The English phrase "hey bro" can be translated into Japanese as おい兄弟 (oi kyoudai).
The phrase おい兄弟 is an informal greeting used to address a male friend or a brother.
What does it mean word for word?
The phrase consists of おい, which is an informal way to get someone's attention and is similar to saying 'hey'.
Which one should you use?
For example, お兄さん means "older brother" and uses the honorific prefix お to add a respectful tone. Conversely, 兄貴 is an informal expression for referring to an older brother-like figure.
How do you pronounce it?
oi kyoudai
Did you know?
- While 兄弟 means 'brothers', using it to address a stranger as 'bro' can sound like you are an actor in a Yakuza film or a character in a manga.
- If you use the rough attention-grabber おい toward a superior or a stranger, you might be perceived as being intentionally confrontational or aggressive.
- A more natural way to say 'hey bro' to a close friend is often just by using their name with a suffix like 'kun', rather than using a literal word for 'brother'.
Examples in context
- おい、兄貴！Hey bro!
- おい、ブラザー！最近どう？Hey bro! How have you been lately?
- 兄貴！新しいアルバム聞いた？Bro! Have you listened to the new album?
- 兄ちゃん、元気かい？Hey bro, how are you doing?
Example conversation
Misaki is teasing her brother Kenta at home.
- 美咲 Misakiおい兄弟、何してるの？Oi kyōdai, nani shiteru no?Hey bro, what are you doing?
- 健太 Kentaゲームしてるよ。Gēmu shiteru yo.I'm playing a game.
- 美咲 Misakiまたやってるんだね。Mata yatterun da ne.You're doing it again, huh.
- 健太 Kentaうるさいなあ。Urusai nā.Be quiet.
