兄 xiōng older brother
elder brother
How to remember 兄: 口 mouth + 儿 son = older brother. With his mouth full of cake, the eldest son still tells the little ones what to do, like a proper older brother.
Component breakdown
兄 = 口 mouth + 儿 son
- 口 mouth
- 儿 son
With his mouth full of cake, the eldest son still tells the little ones what to do, like a proper older brother.
How it came to be
A mouth set on top of a kneeling figure: the one who does the talking. In a family that is the eldest son, who speaks and prays for everybody else.
How it is used
- 'Elder brother' - bound/formal; 兄弟 (xiōngdì) = brothers, or colloquially 'buddy/bro'.
- In everyday speech an older brother is 哥哥 (gēge); 兄 appears in formal or written contexts (兄长 xiōngzhǎng, 表兄 biǎoxiōng elder male cousin).
- 兄弟 as 兄弟们 (xiōngdìmen) is a warm address among close male friends.