Younger brother; a junior male sibling or someone lower in age, rank, or sequence. Bow-shaped loops bound around a vertical rod, with two small ticks on top marking the junior one in line.
In modern Mandarin, 弟 is bound and rarely used alone; the reduplicated form 弟弟 is the standard word for 'younger brother'.
English speakers might call a younger brother '弟' directly, but Chinese requires the full form 弟弟 when addressing or referring to him.
弟 means 'younger brother'; 第 is a prefix for ordinal numbers like 第一 (first).
| Dimension | 弟 | 第 |
|---|---|---|
| Meaning | younger brother | ordinal prefix |
| Usage | family term (弟弟, 兄弟) | before numbers (第一, 第二) |
| Example | 我弟弟想读书。 | 这是我第一次来中国。 |
No, in modern Mandarin 弟 is almost always bound and needs a suffix or prefix, like 弟弟 or 表弟.
| Dimension | Natural | Avoid |
|---|---|---|
| Referring to younger brother | 我弟弟 | 我弟 |
| Addressing younger brother | 弟弟，来吃饭！ | 弟，来吃饭！ |
| Cousin (maternal) | 表弟 | 弟 |
This simple HSK 2 story introduces a warm family of six. Follow Little Bao and his British wife as they raise their two green-eyed children, each with their own personality.
她最喜欢画自己的家人，但是她不喜欢和 弟弟 一起画画儿。
弟弟 太小，也不喜欢画画儿，一会儿跳上跳下，一会儿跑来跑去。
This playful rhyme helps you learn family words in Chinese. Practice saying who's who with simple questions and answers!
那个小孩子是 我弟 。
哥哥和 弟弟 ，姐姐和妹妹也是我家人，也是好朋友。
This simple story introduces you to a family and what each member likes to do. Learn helpful words for food and daily activities as you read about Grandpa, Grandma, Mom, Dad, and the kids.
弟弟 想读书。
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