师弟 (shī dì) — junior fellow apprentice (male disciple under the same master, younger or later-joining); master's younger son (when referring to the master's child)

Definition

In a Chinese martial-arts or traditional master–disciple school, 师弟 is a male disciple who joined the same master after you or is younger than you — your junior fellow apprentice. Pair with 师兄, which is the senior counterpart.

noun
junior fellow apprentice (male disciple under the same master, younger or later-joining)master's younger son (when referring to the master's child)
Measure word · 个
Easily confused

Examples

  • 师弟，。
    Zhè shì wǒ de shī dì, tā gāng rù mén.
    This is my junior fellow apprentice; he just joined the school.
  • 师弟，？
    shī dì, Nǐ jīn tiān liàn gōng le ma?
    Junior fellow apprentice, have you practiced your skills today?
  • ，师弟。
    Shī fu de ér zi bǐ wǒ xiǎo, shì wǒ de shī dì.
    The master's son is younger than me, so he is my junior fellow apprentice.

Origin

Compound word
构词法gòucífǎ
偏正piānzhèngModifier + head

The first part narrows down the second: it says what kind of thing the head is.

师shīmaster
弟dìyounger brother

师 points to the master and 弟 to a younger brother or disciple, together meaning a younger fellow disciple or the master's younger son.

Characters in this word

Two or more meaningful parts placed together so that their meanings combine into a new one.

This origin belongs to the traditional form 師; 师 is its simplified writing.

  • 𠂤𠂤𠂤
  • 帀帀zā

The traditional form 師 combines 𠂤 and 帀; the simplified 师 is not the form explained here.

Open 师 →

A drawing of the thing itself, worn down over three thousand years into a few strokes.

弟 pictures a spear handle wrapped in a leather strap. The wrapping showed order, and that meaning was extended to a younger brother.

Open 弟 →

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