n.
younger brother
弟弟
Common Usage & Traps
- 我弟弟 — my younger brother (casual)
- 我的弟弟 — my younger brother (explicit)
- 哥哥和弟弟 — older brother and younger brother
- 弟弟和妹妹 — younger brother and younger sister
- 一个弟弟 — one younger brother
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我的小弟弟我弟弟 / 我的弟弟弟弟 already means younger brother. 小弟弟 often means little boy or penis, so it sounds childish or accidentally sexual for an adult sibling.
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弟弟和哥哥哥哥和弟弟Chinese usually lists older before younger in sibling pairs. 弟弟和哥哥 is understandable but sounds like you reversed the natural seniority order.
Can I call my younger brother 小弟弟?
No. 弟弟 already means younger brother; 小弟弟 usually means little boy or penis.
English speakers add little to brother, so they try 小弟弟. Chinese already builds younger into 弟弟. Add 小 and you often sound childish or accidentally dirty. For a sibling, say 我弟弟 or 我的弟弟. If you mean a small boy, 小男孩 is safer.
| Dimension | Natural | Avoid |
|---|---|---|
| Your younger brother | 我弟弟 / 我的弟弟 | 我的小弟弟 |
| Meaning of 小弟弟 | little boy or penis | younger brother |
| Small boy | 小男孩 | 小弟弟 |
Should I say 我的弟弟 or 我弟弟?
Both work, but 我弟弟 is more natural for close family in daily speech.
Chinese often drops 的 with close family members. It is the same [possessive 的](/grammar/possessive-de-62) habit you see with 我妈 and 我哥. 我弟弟 sounds like normal family talk. 我的弟弟 is not wrong; it sounds more explicit, formal, or contrastive. If you have several brothers, 我的弟弟 can stress that he is mine. In WeChat, say 我弟弟来了, not 我的弟弟来了, unless you are making a point.
| Dimension | Natural | Avoid |
|---|---|---|
| Casual family talk | 我弟弟 | 我的弟弟 (stiff here) |
| Formal or contrastive | 我的弟弟 | 我弟弟 (if stressing mine) |
| Other close family | 我妈、我哥、我弟 | 我的妈、我的哥、我的弟 |
Does 哥哥和弟弟 have to be in that order?
Chinese usually lists older before younger, so 哥哥和弟弟 sounds natural; 弟弟和哥哥 sounds off.
Sibling terms carry age, and paired terms follow a seniority rhythm. 哥哥和弟弟 and 姐姐和妹妹 are the default order. 弟弟和哥哥 is understandable, but it breaks the expected seniority order. Natives may not correct you, but they will hear it as slightly weird. “哥哥和弟弟，姐姐和妹妹 也是我家人，也是好朋友。” (My older and younger brothers, my older and younger sisters — they're my family and also my good friends.) ── [《我的家人（2）》](/read/my-family-members#s9)
| Dimension | Natural | Avoid |
|---|---|---|
| Brother pair | 哥哥和弟弟 | 弟弟和哥哥 |
| Sister pair | 姐姐和妹妹 | 妹妹和姐姐 |
| Seniority rule | older before younger | younger before older |
Appears in Stories 2 stories
Real context sentences across different daily scenarios and graded readings.
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.
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弟弟 想读书。
This playful rhyme helps you learn family words in Chinese. Practice saying who's who with simple questions and answers!
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哥哥和 弟弟 ，姐姐和妹妹也是我家人，也是好朋友。
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