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兄弟分 (きょうだいぶん) Japanese meaning | Kotomora
Freq. Frequency Top 100,000 Meanings 1
noun
sworn brother ; close buddy
Refers to a man who is like a brother through a pledge of loyalty, not by blood. Often used in yakuza or historical contexts, but can also describe a very close male friend.
さかずき
を
交か
わし
た
仲なか
だ
。
Those two have exchanged cups as sworn brothers.
Kanji 兄 elder brother, big brother 弟 younger brother, faithful service to elders 分 part, minute of time, segment Similar words 義ぎ 兄きょう 弟だい 義兄弟 is a broader term for brother-in-law or sworn brother, while 兄弟分 specifically emphasizes the pledged, non-blood brotherhood, often with a ritualistic nuance.
親しん 友ゆう 親友 is a close friend without the formal pledge or brother-like bond implied by 兄弟分.
Etymology Compound of 兄弟 (kyōdai, 'brothers') and 分 (bun, 'portion' or 'status'), literally meaning 'brother status'. The term likely originated from traditional Japanese practices of forming fictive kinship bonds.
