哥 (gē) - Older brother & a term for an elder male sibling

哥Tone 1

gē ｜ 10 strokes ｜ radical:

枫惠

哥 · gē

Older brother;

a term for an elder male sibling;

also used colloquially to address male peers.

Older brothera term for an elder male siblingalso used colloquially to address male peers.

Usage highlights

Older brotherBig brotherBrotherBrother and sisterEldest brotherBrotherhood

Synonyms

  • 兄— Older brother (more formal)
  • 哥哥— Older brother (reduplicated, affectionate)

Antonyms

  • 弟— Younger brother

Usage & contexts

Examples

  • My older brother is tall (我的哥哥很高).
  • He is my big brother (他是我哥哥).
  • We call him Brother Li (我们叫他李哥).
  • Big brother, can you help me? (哥，你能帮我吗?).

Collocations

  • Older brother(哥哥)
  • Big brother(大哥)
  • Brother (used as a suffix)(哥)
  • Brother and sister(哥妹)
  • Eldest brother(大哥)
  • Brother (affectionate term for male friend)(哥们儿)

Idioms

  • Brothers are like hands and feet(兄弟如手足)
  • Brothers who quarrel inside but defend outside(兄弟阋于墙，外御其侮)
  • Brothers sharing the same parents(同胞兄弟)

Cultural background

FAQ
  • Traditionally denotes seniority and respect within the family hierarchy.
  • Used colloquially to express camaraderie and closeness among male friends.
  • In some contexts, can be used as a respectful term for older males outside the family.

FAQ