弟 (dì) — younger brother (as a bound form in compounds like 兄弟, 弟子); (in letters, humble) I, your younger brother
Definition
弟 is a bound form: it cannot stand alone, but combines with 兄 (兄弟 'brothers'), 姐 (姐弟 'older sister & younger brother'), or 子 (弟子 'disciple'). In formal letters, a man may sign as 弟 as a humble 'your younger brother'.
bound form
younger brother (as a bound form in compounds like 兄弟, 弟子)(in letters, humble) Iyour younger brother
Examples
- ，。Tā men liǎ shì qīn xiōng dì, gǎn qíng fēi cháng hǎo.The two of them are blood brothers and get along very well.
- ，。Kǒng zǐ yǒu sān qiān dì zǐ, qí zhōng zuì zhù míng de shì yán huí.Confucius had three thousand disciples, the most famous of whom was Yan Hui.
- ：‘弟’。Tā zài xìn de mò wěi xiě dào: 'yú dì mǒu mǒu jìng shàng'.At the end of the letter, he wrote: 'Your humble younger brother so-and-so respectfully submits.'
Appears in
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