我的哥哥
wǒ de gēge
The English phrase "my brother" is translated into Chinese as 我的哥哥 (wǒ de gēge).
This phrase is used to refer to a male sibling who is older than the speaker. In very informal contexts, if you wish to refer to a close male friend as "my brother," you would use 我的哥们儿 instead.
What does it mean word for word?
The term 哥哥 specifically means "older brother".
Which one should you use?
It is important to distinguish between siblings by age: use 哥哥 for an older brother, whereas 弟弟 must be used for a younger brother.
Is it said differently in some regions?
In Cantonese, the term 哥哥 (Gor gor) is used to refer to an older brother.
How does it change in a sentence?
In many natural spoken contexts, the possessive particle 的 can be omitted, allowing you to say 我哥哥 to mean "my older brother".
How do you pronounce it?
wǒ de gēge
Did you know?
- While 我的哥哥 means 'my older brother', in many parts of China, calling a much older male 哥哥 can function as a flirtatious or overly intimate way to address a romantic interest.
- While 哥哥 means 'older brother', adding the prefix 大 to make 大哥 transforms the meaning to 'eldest brother' or a respectful term for a boss or leader.
- In many Chinese families, children are rarely called by their given names, and even adults might call their older brother simply by a title like 哥 instead of using his name.
Examples in context
- 我的哥哥是老师。My brother is a teacher.This example shows how to use 我的哥哥 to identify someone's profession.Tatoeba #2778667 by iMaple, translation #1056859 by brauliobezerra
- 我正在鼓励我的哥哥。I am encouraging my brother.This example demonstrates using 我的哥哥 as the object of an action.Tatoeba #10099062 by ColawithIce, translation #1665255 by Amastan
- 她告訴我她認識我的哥哥。She told me she knew my brother.This example shows 我的哥哥 used within a subordinate clause.Tatoeba #902989 by Martha, translation #309971 by CK
- 5 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Wei and Jiayi are talking about their families at a cafe.
- 伟 Wei我的哥哥在那边。Wǒ de gēge zài nàbiān.My older brother is over there.
- 佳怡 Jiayi那是你的哥哥吗？Nà shì nǐ de gēge ma?Is that your older brother?
- 伟 Wei对，那是我的哥哥。Duì, nà shì wǒ de gēge.Yes, that is my older brother.
- 佳怡 Jiayi他看起来很帅。Tā kàn qǐlái hěn shuài.He looks very handsome.
Sources
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
