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弟弟 (dì di) — younger brother

Definition

Younger brother. Use 哥哥 for older brother, 妹妹 for younger sister; 兄弟 is a general term for brothers or a casual "bro".

noun
younger brother
Measure word · 个, 位

Examples

  • 弟弟。
    Zhè shì wǒ de dì di.
    This is my younger brother.
  • 弟弟？
    Nǐ dì di jǐ suì le?
    How old is your younger brother?
  • 弟弟。
    Wǒ dì di bù hē kā fēi.
    My younger brother doesn't drink coffee.

Origin

Reduplicated word
构词法gòucífǎ
重叠chóngdiéReduplication

A syllable said twice — for affection, for softness, or simply because that is how the word is said.

弟dìyounger brother
弟dìyounger brother

'弟' is repeated to form the kinship term.

Characters in this word

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 →

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 →
Appears in
HSK 3.0 Level 1HSK 2.0 Level 21000 Most Frequent Chinese WordsFamily & Kinship2000 Most Frequent Chinese Words3000 Most Frequent Chinese Words

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