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表弟 (biǎo dì) — younger male cousin (on mother's side or father's sister's side, i.e., with a different surname)

Definition

Specifically your younger male cousin on the mother's side or father's sister's side — a different surname, not a paternal grandfather's-line cousin like 堂弟.

noun
younger male cousin (on mother's side or father's sister's side, i.e., with a different surname)
Measure word · 个

Examples

  • 表弟。
    Wǒ biǎo dì jīn nián kǎo shàng dà xué le.
    My younger male cousin got into college this year.
  • 表弟，。
    biǎo dì Bǐ wǒ xiǎo sān suì, wǒ men jīng cháng yì qǐ dǎ lán qiú.
    My younger male cousin is three years younger than me, and we often play basketball together.
  • 表弟，。
    Shàng zhōu mò wǒ qù biǎo dì jiā, hé tā wán le yí xià wǔ yóu xì.
    Last weekend I went to my younger male cousin's house and played games with him for an afternoon.

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.

表biǎocousin
弟dìyounger brother

表弟 names a 弟 who is a 表 relative, a younger cousin on the non-paternal line.

Characters in this word

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

The shape 表 pairs 衣 (garment) with 毛 (hair or feather), originally an outer garment.

Open 表 →

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
Family & Kinship

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