also: まってい
youngest brother
Refers specifically to the youngest brother in a family. Used in formal or written contexts; in casual speech, 一番下の弟 is more common.
He is the youngest of three brothers.
The youngest brother is still a student and the most spoiled in the family.
last disciple; youngest follower
Used in religious, martial arts, or master-disciple contexts to refer to the most junior or last-accepted disciple. Not used for ordinary school or workplace juniors.
The master passed on the secret techniques to his last disciple.
As the youngest disciple of the dojo, he received guidance from his seniors.
Standard kanji spelling; the reading ばってい is the most common.
Alternate reading; less common and may be considered non-standard.
Compound of 末 (matsu, 'end, youngest') and 弟 (tei, 'younger brother'). The reading ばってい is the standard on'yomi combination; まってい is an irregular or dialectal variant.