em trai
[ʔɛm˧˧ t͡ɕaːj˧˧]
The English phrase 'little brother' is translated into Vietnamese as em trai.
em trai is used to refer to a male sibling who is younger than the speaker. In casual conversation, speakers often drop the word trai and simply use em to refer to their little brother.
What does it mean word for word?
The term is composed of em, meaning 'younger sibling' and trai, meaning 'male' or 'boy'.
Which one should you use?
While em trai specifically refers to a little brother, the term em gái is used to refer to a little sister.
How does it change in a sentence?
In Vietnamese, em trai also functions as a second-person pronoun when addressing someone younger than you.
Did you know?
- In Vietnamese culture, the terms anh and em create a kinship system that extends far beyond biological siblings to include friends, colleagues and strangers.
- In some traditional Vietnamese families with children, parents might refer to each other as thầy em and đẻ em, meaning 'father of the little one' and 'mother of the little one'.
- In a professional or formal setting, a person might be called em by a boss or senior colleague regardless of their actual age or gender.
Examples in context
- Em trai của tôi đang xem ti viMy little brother is watching TV.This sentence shows how to use em trai to identify a subject performing an action.Tatoeba #12562844 by thanhcona40, translation #1900 by Swift
- Mẹ tôi mua cho em trai tôi một cái dù màu vàng.My mother bought my little brother a yellow umbrella.This sentence demonstrates using em trai as the recipient of an object.Tatoeba #3481603 by tucm, translation #753784 by drahcir
- Tôi phải giúp em trai tôi nhiều hơn nữa. Cha tôi đã nói như vậy.I must help my little brother more. My father said so.This sentence illustrates using em trai to describe a person receiving help.Tatoeba #11317989 by chaule3, translation #11317984 by chaule3
- Chào em trai! Làm gì đây?Hello, little brother! What are you doing?
- 2 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Chi asks Tuấn about his family.
- ChiBạn có em trai không, Tuấn?Do you have a little brother, Tuan?
- TuấnCó, tôi có một em trai.Yes, I have one little brother.
- ChiEm trai bạn bao nhiêu tuổi rồi?How old is your little brother now?
- TuấnEm trai tôi mười tuổi.My little brother is ten years old.
Sources
- Pronunciation: Wiktionary entry em trai, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries em, em trai, trai, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
