兄弟

xiōng dì

HSK 2.0 Level 5 HSK 3.0 Level 4 Noun Very common

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Definitions

1. brothers
2. younger brother
3. I, me (humble term used by men in public speech)
4. brotherly
5. fraternal

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Word relationships

Related words

2 items

• 哥哥 gē ge 哥哥 gē ge older brother 兄长, specific to elder brother: older brother
• 弟弟 dì di 弟弟 dì di younger brother 胞弟, specific to younger brother: younger brother

Usage notes

Common mistakes

兄弟 (xiōng dì) can mean 'brothers' (collective) or 'younger brother'. For 'elder brother', use 哥哥 (gē ge); for 'younger brother' specifically, 弟弟 (dì di) is more common in everyday speech.

Formality

As a humble pronoun for 'I', 兄弟 is used mainly by men in public speaking or writing; it is very formal and not used in casual conversation.

Example Sentences

5 shown

我们是好 兄弟 。

We are good brothers.

我们是亲 兄弟 。

We are biological brothers.

他们是一对孪生 兄弟 。

They are a pair of twin brothers.

我有 兄弟 。

Source: Tatoeba.org (ID 774537)

你有幾個 兄弟 ？

Source: Tatoeba.org (ID 868291)

Sentence data courtesy of Tatoeba.org. AI-generated examples are marked with this icon.

Words Containing 兄弟

• 兄弟姐妹 兄弟姐妹 xiōng dì jiě mèi: brothers and sisters
• 兄弟会 兄弟会 xiōng dì huì: fraternity
• 兄弟阋于墙，外御其侮 兄弟阋于墙，外御其侮 xiōng dì xì yú qiáng , wài yù qí wǔ: internal disunity dissolves at the threat of an invasion from outside (idiom)
• 兄弟阋墙 兄弟阋墙 xiōng dì xì qiáng: internecine strife (idiom); fighting among oneself
• 卡拉马佐夫兄弟 卡拉马佐夫兄弟 kǎ lā mǎ zuǒ fū xiōng dì: Brothers Karamazov by Dostoevsky 陀思妥耶夫斯基[tuó sī tuǒ yē fū sī jī]
• 四海之内皆兄弟 四海之内皆兄弟 sì hǎi zhī nèi jiē xiōng dì: all men are brothers
• 堂兄弟 堂兄弟 táng xiōng dì: father's brother's sons
• 孪生兄弟 孪生兄弟 luán shēng xiōng dì: twin brothers
• 师兄弟 师兄弟 shī xiōng dì: fellow apprentices; fellow students (male)
• 把兄弟 把兄弟 bǎ xiōng dì: sworn brothers
• 盟兄弟 盟兄弟 méng xiōng dì: sworn brother
• 华纳兄弟 华纳兄弟 huá nà xiōng dì: Warner Brothers
• 表兄弟 表兄弟 biǎo xiōng dì: male cousins via female line
• 亲兄弟，明算帐 亲兄弟，明算帐 qīn xiōng dì , míng suàn zhàng: even with your own brother, keep clear accounts (idiom)
• 双生兄弟 双生兄弟 shuāng shēng xiōng dì: twin brothers
• 雷曼兄弟 雷曼兄弟 léi màn xiōng dì: Lehman Brothers, investment bank

Child Words of 兄弟

• 兄 兄 xiōng: elder brother
• 弟 弟 dì: younger brother