Usage patterns 〈 数すう 〉 人にん 兄きょう 弟だい a family of ... siblings
I'm one of three siblings.
おい 、 兄きょう 弟だい hey, buddy/bro (casual address between male friends)
Hey bro, long time no see.
〈 人ひと 〉 に 兄きょう 弟だい がいる someone has siblings
〈 人ひと 〉 と 兄きょう 弟だい のように 仲なか がいい to be as close as siblings with someone
They're as close as brothers.
Kanji 兄 elder brother, big brother 弟 younger brother, faithful service to elders Related words· 6 姉妹 refers specifically to sisters, while 兄弟 broadly covers any combination of brothers and sisters.
相棒 means 'partner/buddy' and can be used more broadly (including work partners), while 兄弟 in this casual sense is specifically a male-to-male address term like 'bro'.
兄弟 is the general, unmarked word for 'siblings' or 'brothers', while 兄妹 specifically means an older brother paired with a younger sister.
兄弟 broadly means siblings or brothers in general, while 弟妹 specifically refers to one's younger brother and younger sister as a pair.
Show 2 more Show fewer 兄弟 usually means actual siblings, whereas 同胞 extends that brotherhood metaphorically to a whole nation or ethnic group.
兄弟 is the general native term covering siblings collectively, while ブラザー specifically evokes a single 'brother' with a casual, foreign flavor.
Don't confuse with 兄弟 , pronounced identically to 強大 , means siblings and has nothing to do with power or scale.
兄弟 shares the kanji 弟 and means 'siblings', which learners can confuse with 師弟 's teacher-student pairing.
父兄 literally contains the kanji for 'older brother' but in modern use means parents/guardians, while 兄弟 actually means siblings.
兄弟 shares the kanji 弟 with 子弟 but means siblings, whereas 子弟 means children or younger family members collectively.
Counted with Used when counting siblings as people; in many contexts native speakers may also say 兄弟一組 , but that is not a counter for each person.
For sets, pairs, and groups — couples, siblings, matched tableware.
Word family· 14 brother-in-law; stepbrother; sworn brother
sworn brother; close buddy
foster sibling; milk sibling
siblings; brothers and sisters
brotherly love; fraternal love; sibling affection
Show 8 more Show fewer sisters; female siblings
brothers; male siblings
parents and siblings; one's immediate family
affiliated company; sister company
sibling quarrel; fight between brothers
brothers and sisters; siblings
fellow pupil; fellow apprentice
half-sibling (different mother)
See all 14 in Explore →
Written forms 兄きょう 弟だい Usage 94%
Standard kanji spelling; commonly used for siblings regardless of gender, though the kanji literally mean 'older brother' and 'younger brother'.
きょうだい Usage 6%
Kana spelling is common in everyday writing, especially when gender-neutrality is emphasized or in informal contexts.
Etymology Compound of 兄 (older brother) and 弟 (younger brother). Historically referred only to male siblings, but modern usage has expanded to include all siblings regardless of gender.
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