弟
younger brother; younger male relative; polite self-reference; surname
Meanings
5 senses · 14 examplesnoun
younger brother
Can be paired with numbers to specify birth order, or used alone to refer to a younger male sibling.
I have a younger brother who is ten years old this year.
He is my second younger brother, two years younger than me.
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A younger brother born to the same parents as oneself.
A male cousin who is the son of my uncle or paternal aunt and younger than me.
The little younger brother is chasing butterflies in the park.
noun
younger male relative
Used for relatives outside the immediate family who are male and younger than the speaker.
My male cousin is the son of my aunt and one year younger than me.
He is my brother-in-law, the younger brother of my wife.
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I went to watch a football match with my wife's younger brother.
My male cousin's family moved to another city last week.
All the younger male relatives in the family are very filial to the elders.
noun
polite self-reference
formalA humble way for a man to refer to himself in formal correspondence or when speaking to an elder or superior.
I have not been feeling well recently, so I could not make the appointment, and I am very sorry.
I have received your letter and am extremely grateful.
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In his letter, he signed off with 'di' to show humility.
noun
surname Di
A relatively rare Chinese family name.
My neighbor's surname is Di, everyone calls him Mr. Di.
adjective
same as 第; same as 悌
archaicAn archaic usage where 弟 is used interchangeably with 第 (indicating order) or 悌 (filial piety for younger siblings).