弟

弟	U+5F1F, 弟 CJK UNIFIED IDEOGRAPH-5F1F

Translingual

Han character

Stroke order

弟 (Kangxi radical 57, 弓+4, 7 strokes, cangjie input 金弓中竹 (CNLH), four-corner 8022₇, composition ⿹弚丿)

Derived characters

俤, 㖒, 挮, 涕, 悌, 娣, 綈 (绨), 珶, 梯, 焍, 祶, 睇, 銻 (锑), 稊, 鮷, 豑, 豒, 剃, 鵜 (鹈), 晜, 罤, 鬀, 递

References

Kangxi Dictionary: page 357, character 17
Dai Kanwa Jiten: character 9737
Dae Jaweon: page 673, character 19
Hanyu Da Zidian (first edition): volume 1, page 244, character 10
Unihan data for U+5F1F

Chinese

simp. and trad.		弟
2nd round simp.		⿹兯丿
alternative forms		𠂖

Glyph origin

Historical forms of the character 弟
Western Zhou	Shuowen Jiezi (compiled in Han)	Liushutong (compiled in Ming)
Bronze inscriptions	Small seal script	Transcribed ancient scripts

Characters in the same phonetic series (弟) (Zhengzhang, 2003)

	Old Chinese
梯	*tʰiːl
睇	tʰiːl, diːls
涕	tʰiːlʔ, tʰiːls
挮	*tʰiːlʔ
鬀	tʰiːls, diːls
剃	*tʰiːls
綈	*diːl
蕛	*diːl
稊	*diːl
苐	*diːl
鵜	*diːl
銻	*diːl
鮷	*diːl
罤	*diːl
弟	diːlʔ, diːls
娣	diːlʔ, diːls
悌	diːlʔ, diːls
第	*diːls

Pictogram (象形) of a spear handle wrapped in a leather strap. The wrapping signified order or sequence, which extended to "younger brother".

Pronunciation

Mandarin
(Standard)
(Pinyin): dì (di⁴)

(Zhuyin): ㄉㄧˋ

(Chengdu, Sichuanese Pinyin): di⁴
Cantonese
(Guangzhou–Hong Kong, Jyutping): dai⁶

(Taishan, Wiktionary): ai⁵ / hai⁴
Hakka
(Sixian, PFS): thi / thâi

(Meixian, Guangdong): ti⁴ / tai¹
Jin (Wiktionary): di³
Eastern Min (BUC): dâ̤ / diê
Southern Min
(Hokkien, POJ): tī / tǐ / tē / tě / tî / ti / tih

(Teochew, Peng'im): di⁶
Wu (Shanghai, Wugniu): ⁶di

Mandarin
- (Standard Chinese)⁺
  - Hanyu Pinyin: dì
  - Zhuyin: ㄉㄧˋ
  - Tongyong Pinyin: dì
  - Wade–Giles: ti⁴
  - Yale: dì
  - Gwoyeu Romatzyh: dih
  - Palladius: ди (di)
  - Sinological IPA ^(key): /ti⁵¹/
- (Chengdu)
  - Sichuanese Pinyin: di⁴
  - Scuanxua Ladinxua Xin Wenz: di
  - Sinological IPA ^(key): /ti²¹³/
Cantonese
- (Standard Cantonese, Guangzhou–Hong Kong)
  - Jyutping: dai⁶
  - Yale: daih
  - Cantonese Pinyin: dai⁶
  - Guangdong Romanization: dei⁶
  - Sinological IPA ^(key): /tɐi̯²²/
- (Taishanese, Taicheng)
  - Wiktionary: ai⁵ / hai⁴
  - Sinological IPA ^(key): /ai³²/, /hai²¹/

Note: hai4 - in 阿弟.

Hakka
- (Sixian, incl. Miaoli and Neipu)
  - Pha̍k-fa-sṳ: thi / thâi
  - Hakka Romanization System: ti / tai^ˊ
  - Hagfa Pinyim: ti⁴ / tai¹
  - Sinological IPA: /tʰi⁵⁵/, /tʰai̯²⁴/
- (Meixian)
  - Guangdong: ti⁴ / tai¹
  - Sinological IPA: /tʰi⁵³/, /tʰaɪ⁴⁴/

Note: thâi/tai1 - vernacular, in 老弟.

Jin
- (Taiyuan)⁺
  - Wiktionary: di³
  - Sinological IPA (old-style): /ti⁴⁵/
Eastern Min
- (Fuzhou)
  - Bàng-uâ-cê: dâ̤ / diê
  - Sinological IPA ^(key): /tɑ²⁴²/, /tiɛ²⁴²/
Southern Min
- (Hokkien: Xiamen, Zhangzhou, General Taiwanese)
  - Pe̍h-ōe-jī: tī
  - Tâi-lô: tī
  - Phofsit Daibuun: di
  - IPA (Taipei, Kaohsiung): /ti³³/
  - IPA (Xiamen, Zhangzhou): /ti²²/
- (Hokkien: Quanzhou)
  - Pe̍h-ōe-jī: tǐ
  - Tâi-lô: tǐ
  - IPA (Quanzhou): /ti²²/
- (Hokkien: Xiamen, Zhangzhou, General Taiwanese)
  - Pe̍h-ōe-jī: tē
  - Tâi-lô: tē
  - Phofsit Daibuun: de
  - IPA (Xiamen, Zhangzhou): /te²²/
  - IPA (Taipei, Kaohsiung): /te³³/
- (Hokkien: Quanzhou)
  - Pe̍h-ōe-jī: tě
  - Tâi-lô: tě
  - IPA (Quanzhou): /te²²/
- (Hokkien: Xiamen, Quanzhou)
  - Pe̍h-ōe-jī: tî
  - Tâi-lô: tî
  - Phofsit Daibuun: dii
  - IPA (Xiamen, Quanzhou): /ti²⁴/
- (Hokkien: Zhangzhou)
  - Pe̍h-ōe-jī: ti
  - Tâi-lô: ti
  - Phofsit Daibuun: dy
  - IPA (Zhangzhou): /ti⁴⁴/
- (Hokkien: General Taiwanese)
  - Pe̍h-ōe-jī: tih
  - Tâi-lô: tih
  - Phofsit Daibuun: diq
  - IPA (Taipei, Kaohsiung): /tiʔ³²/

Note:

tī/tǐ - vernacular;
tē/tě - literary;
tî/ti/tih - limited, e.g 阿弟, 弟弟.

(Teochew)
- Peng'im: di⁶
- Pe̍h-ōe-jī-like: tĭ
- Sinological IPA ^(key): /ti³⁵/

Wu
- (Northern: Shanghai)
  - Wugniu: ⁶di
  - MiniDict: di^去
  - Wiktionary Romanisation (Shanghai): ³di
  - Sinological IPA (Shanghai): /di²³/

Middle Chinese: dejX, dejH

Rime
Character	弟	弟
Reading #	1/2	2/2
Initial (聲)	定 (7)	定 (7)
Final (韻)	齊 (39)	齊 (39)
Tone (調)	Rising (X)	Departing (H)
Openness (開合)	Open	Open
Division (等)	IV	IV
Fanqie	徒禮切	特計切
Baxter	dejX	dejH
Reconstructions
Zhengzhang Shangfang	/dei^X/	/dei^H/
Pan Wuyun	/dei^X/	/dei^H/
Shao Rongfen	/dɛi^X/	/dɛi^H/
Edwin Pulleyblank	/dɛj^X/	/dɛj^H/
Li Rong	/dei^X/	/dei^H/
Wang Li	/diei^X/	/diei^H/
Bernhard Karlgren	/dʱiei^X/	/dʱiei^H/
Expected Mandarin Reflex	dì	dì
Expected Cantonese Reflex	dai⁶	dai⁶

Old Chinese
(Baxter–Sagart): /*lˤəjʔ/

(Zhengzhang): /*diːlʔ/, /*diːls/

Baxter–Sagart system 1.1 (2014)
Character	弟
Reading #	1/1
Modern Beijing (Pinyin)	dì
Middle Chinese	‹ dej^X ›
Old Chinese	/*lˁəjʔ/
English	younger brother
Notes for Old Chinese notations in the Baxter–Sagart system: * Parentheses "()" indicate uncertain presence; * Square brackets "[]" indicate uncertain identity, e.g. [t] as coda may in fact be -t or -p; Angle brackets "<>" indicate infix; * Hyphen "-" indicates morpheme boundary; * Period "." indicates syllable boundary.

Zhengzhang system (2003)
Character	弟	弟
Reading #	1/2	2/2
No.	2294	2297
Phonetic component	弟	弟
Rime group	脂	脂
Rime subdivision	1	1
Corresponding MC rime	弟	第
Old Chinese	/*diːlʔ/	/*diːls/
Notes	甲金文象繩束弋（朱芳圃說），繞弋繩須次第不亂方利於射，爲第初文

Definitions

弟

younger brother
junior male
(literary, humble) I; me (between male friends)
Original form of 第 (dì, “sequence”).

Compounds

Descendants

→ Thai: ตี๋ (dtǐi, “younger brother”) (said by Chinese race)

Synonyms

(younger brother):

Dialectal synonyms of 弟弟 (“younger brother”) [map]

Variety	Location	Words edit
Classical Chinese		弟
Formal (Written Standard Chinese)		弟弟
Northeastern Mandarin	Beijing	兄弟, 弟弟
	Taiwan	弟弟
	Harbin	兄弟, 弟弟
	Malaysia	弟弟
	Singapore	弟弟
Jilu Mandarin	Jinan	兄弟, 弟弟
Jiaoliao Mandarin	Yantai (Muping)	兄兒, 兄弟
Central Plains Mandarin	Luoyang	兄弟
	Wanrong	兄弟 male speaker, 弟子 female speaker
	Xi'an	兄弟
	Xining	兄弟, 弟弟
	Xuzhou	弟弟, 兄弟
	Sokuluk (Gansu Dungan)	兄弟
Lanyin Mandarin	Yinchuan	兄弟
Lanyin Mandarin	Ürümqi	弟弟, 兄弟, 富康子
Southwestern Mandarin	Chengdu	弟娃兒, 兄弟, 弟弟
	Wuhan	弟弟, 兄弟
	Guiyang	弟, 兄弟, 弟弟 childish
	Liuzhou	弟, 阿弟, 老弟
Jianghuai Mandarin	Nanjing	弟弟, 兄弟
	Yangzhou	兄弟, 弟弟
	Nantong	弟子
	Hefei	兄弟, 弟弟
Cantonese	Guangzhou	細佬, 弟弟
	Hong Kong	細佬, 弟弟
	Hong Kong (San Tin; Weitou)	細佬
	Hong Kong (Kam Tin; Weitou)	細佬
	Hong Kong (Ting Kok)	細佬
	Hong Kong (Tung Ping Chau)	阿弟
	Macau	細佬
	Guangzhou (Panyu)	細佬
	Guangzhou (Huashan, Huadu)	細佬
	Guangzhou (Conghua)	細佬
	Guangzhou (Zengcheng)	細佬
	Foshan	細佬
	Foshan (Shatou, Nanhai)	細佬
	Foshan (Shunde)	細佬
	Foshan (Sanshui)	細佬
	Foshan (Mingcheng, Gaoming)	細佬
	Zhongshan (Shiqi)	細佬
	Zhuhai (Qianshan, Xiangzhou)	細佬
	Zhuhai (Shangheng, Doumen; Tanka)	細佬
	Zhuhai (Doumen)	細佬
	Jiangmen (Baisha)	細佬
	Jiangmen (Xinhui)	細佬
	Taishan	細佬, 阿弟, 細, 弟
	Kaiping (Chikan)	阿弟, 細佬
	Enping (Niujiang)	阿弟
	Heshan (Yayao)	細佬
	Dongguan	細佬, 弟弟
	Shenzhen (Shajing, Bao'an)	細佬
	Shaoguan	細佬
	Yangjiang	小弟
	Kuala Lumpur (Guangfu)	細佬
	Singapore (Guangfu)	細佬
Gan	Nanchang	老弟, 兄弟
	Lichuan	弟
	Pingxiang	老弟
Hakka	Meixian	老弟, 老弟仔
	Xingning	老弟, 老弟里
	Huizhou (Huicheng; Bendihua)	老弟
	Huiyang	老弟
	Huidong (Daling)	老弟
	Dongguan (Qingxi)	老弟
	Shenzhen (Shatoujiao)	老弟
	Zhongshan (Nanlang Heshui)	老弟
	Wuhua (Shuizhai)	老弟
	Wuhua (Huacheng)	老弟
	Wuhua (Changbu)	老弟
	Wuhua (Mianyang)	老弟
	Wuhua (Meilin)	老弟
	Heyuan (Bendihua)	老弟
	Wengyuan	老弟
	Shaoguan (Qujiang)	老弟
	Lianshan (Xiaosanjiang)	老弟
	Liannan	老弟
	Guangzhou (Lütian, Conghua)	弟弟
	Jiexi	老弟
	Luhe	老弟
	Zhao'an (Xiuzhuan)	阿弟
	Changting	老弟
	Wuping	老弟
	Wuping (Yanqian)	老弟子
	Wuping (Pingyu)	老弟子
	Liancheng	老弟
	Ninghua	老弟
	Yudu	老弟
	Ningdu	老弟
	Ruijin	老弟
	Shicheng	老弟
	Shangyou (Shexi)	老弟
	Tonggu (Sandu)	老弟
	Ganzhou (Panlong)	老弟
	Dayu	弟佬
	Miaoli (N. Sixian)	老弟
	Pingtung (Neipu; S. Sixian)	老弟
	Hsinchu County (Zhudong; Hailu)	老弟
	Taichung (Dongshi; Dabu)	老弟
	Hsinchu County (Qionglin; Raoping)	老弟
	Yunlin (Lunbei; Zhao'an)	阿弟
	Hong Kong	老弟
	Yangxi (Tangkou)	老弟
	Yangchun (Sanjia)	細佬
	Xinyi (Sihe)	老弟, 細佬
	Xinyi (Qianpai)	老弟, 細佬
	Gaozhou (Xindong)	老弟
	Maoming (Shalang, Dianbai)	老弟
	Huazhou (Xin'an)	老弟
	Lianjiang (Shijiao)	老弟
	Lianjiang (Qingping)	阿弟, 老弟
	Mengshan (Xihe)	老弟
	Luchuan	老弟
	Sabah (Bao'an)	老弟
	Sabah (Longchuan)	老弟
	Senai (Huiyang)	老弟
	Sungai Tapang, Batu Kawa (Hepo)	老弟
	Singkawang	阿弟, 老弟
Huizhou	Jixi	弟
Jin	Taiyuan	兄弟, 弟弟
Jin	Xinzhou	兄弟
Northern Min	Jian'ou	弟仔
Eastern Min	Fuzhou	依弟 face-to-face, 弟
Southern Min	Xiamen	小弟, 阿弟 face-to-face
	Quanzhou	小弟, 阿弟 face-to-face
	Zhangzhou	小弟, 阿弟 face-to-face
	Zhao'an	細弟仔, 細弟
	Kaohsiung	小弟
	Yilan	小弟
	Changhua (Lukang)	小弟
	Taichung	小弟
	Taichung (Wuqi)	小弟
	Tainan	小弟
	Taitung	小弟
	Hsinchu	小弟
	Penghu (Magong)	小弟
	Penang (Hokkien)	小弟, 阿棣
	Singapore (Hokkien)	小弟, 阿弟 face-to-face
	Manila (Hokkien)	小弟
	Chaozhou	阿弟
	Shantou	阿弟
	Jieyang	阿弟
	Haifeng	阿弟, 弟, 弟弟
	Bangkok (Teochew)	阿弟
	Johor Bahru (Teochew)	阿弟
	Singapore (Teochew)	阿弟
	Leizhou	老弟
	Haikou	老弟 non-face-to-face, 阿弟 face-to-face
Zhongshan Min	Zhongshan (Longdu, Shaxi)	細佬, 弟弟
Zhongshan Min	Zhongshan (Sanxiang)	細佬
Southern Pinghua	Nanning (Tingzi)	老弟
Wu	Shanghai	弟弟, 阿弟, 兄弟
	Shanghai (Chongming)	兄弟
	Suzhou	兄弟, 弟弟
	Danyang	弟子
	Hangzhou	阿弟, 弟弟
	Ningbo	阿弟, 弟弟 face-to-face
	Wenzhou	阿弟
	Jinhua	弟
Xiang	Changsha	老弟, 弟弟
	Loudi	老弟
	Shuangfeng	老弟, 弟弟
	Hengyang	老弟

References

“Entry #3144”, in 教育部臺灣台語常用詞辭典 [Dictionary of Frequently-Used Taiwanese Taigi] (overall work in Mandarin and Hokkien), Ministry of Education, R.O.C., 2024.
“弟”, in 漢語多功能字庫 (Multi-function Chinese Character Database)‎^[1], 香港中文大學 (the Chinese University of Hong Kong), 2014–

Japanese

Kanji

弟

(Second grade kyōiku kanji)

Readings

Go-on: だい (dai, Jōyō ^†)
Kan-on: てい (tei, Jōyō)
Kan’yō-on: で (de, Jōyō ^†)
Kun: おと (oto, 弟)、おとうと (otōto, 弟, Jōyō)

Etymology 1

Kanji in this term
弟
おと Grade: 2
kun'yomi

For pronunciation and definitions of 弟 – see the following entry.

【乙おと】S

[noun] [from 712] (archaic) a younger sibling

[noun] [from late 1500s] (archaic) the youngest sibling

[noun] [from late 1500s] (archaic) clipping of 乙娘 (oto musume) a young woman

[noun] [from late 1500s] (archaic, Noh theater) clipping of 乙御前 (oto goze): a stock character in 狂言 (kyōgen) comic interludes, played as a plump and clumsy but earnest young woman

[prefix] applied to a noun denoting a person, or to a person's name:

[prefix] next, younger, youngest

[prefix] beautiful, beloved, cute, dear

(This term, 弟, is an alternative spelling of the above term.)

Etymology 2

弟 on Japanese Wikipedia

弟 (otōto): the orange highlighting indicates the **younger brother** relative to all of the children to the left.

Kanji in this term
弟
おとうと Grade: 2
kun'yomi

/otopito/ → /otoɸito/ → /otowito/ → /*otowuto/ → /otouto/ → /otoːto/

Originally a compound of 弟 (oto, “younger sibling”) +‎ 人 (hito, “person”).^[1]^[2]

Pronunciation

(Tokyo) おとーと [òtóótóꜜ] (Odaka – [4])^[3]^[2]
IPA^(key): [o̞to̞ːto̞]

Noun

弟(おとうと) • (otōto)

one’s own younger brother
a younger male

(alternative reading hiragana おとっ, rōmaji oto')

(Kagoshima) younger brother

Usage notes

Used when referring to one’s own younger brother. To refer to someone else’s younger brother, the suffixed form 弟さん (otōto-san) is used instead. When addressing one’s own younger brother, the given name is used, often with a suffix, such as 太郎君 (Tarō-kun). Contrast with addressing one’s own older brother, when one uses the honorific お兄さん (onīsan).

References

^ Shōgaku Tosho (1988) 国語大辞典（新装版） [Unabridged Dictionary of Japanese (Revised Edition)] (in Japanese), Tōkyō: Shogakukan, →ISBN
↑ ^2.0 ^2.1 Matsumura, Akira, editor (2006), 大辞林 [Daijirin] (in Japanese), Third edition, Tokyo: Sanseidō, →ISBN
^ NHK Broadcasting Culture Research Institute, editor (1998), NHK日本語発音アクセント辞典 [NHK Japanese Pronunciation Accent Dictionary] (in Japanese), Tokyo: NHK Publishing, Inc., →ISBN

Korean

Etymology

From Middle Chinese 弟 (MC dejX).

Historical readings

Recorded as Middle Korean 똉〯 (Yale: ttyěy^?) in Dongguk Jeongun (東國正韻 / 동국정운), 1448.
Recorded as Middle Korean 뎨〯 (tyěy)^訓 (Yale: tyěy) in Hunmong Jahoe (訓蒙字會 / 훈몽자회), 1527.
Recorded as Middle Korean 뎨 ( tyey)^訓 (Yale: tyey) in Gwangju Cheonjamun (光州千字文 / 광주천자문), 1575.
Recorded as Middle Korean 뎨 ( tyey)^訓 (Yale: tyey) in Sinjeung Yuhap (新增類合 / 신증유합), 1576.

Pronunciation

(SK Standard/Seoul) IPA^(key): [t͡ɕe̞(ː)]
Phonetic hangul: [제(ː)]
- Though still prescribed in Standard Korean, most speakers in both Koreas no longer distinguish vowel length.

Hanja

Korean Wikisource has texts containing the hanja:

弟

Wikisource

弟 (eumhun 아우 제 (au je))

hanja form^? of 제 (“younger brother”)

Compounds

도제 (徒弟, doje)
매제 (妹弟, maeje)
사제 (師弟, saje)
자제 (子弟, jaje)
제수 (弟嫂, jesu)
제자 (弟子, jeja)
처제 (妻弟, cheoje)
형제 (兄弟, hyeongje)
의형제 (義兄弟, uihyeongje)

References

국제퇴계학회 대구경북지부 (國際退溪學會大邱慶北支部) (2007). Digital Hanja Dictionary, 전자사전／電子字典. [2]

Vietnamese

Han character

弟: Hán Nôm readings: đệ, dễ

This term needs a translation to English. Please help out and add a translation, then remove the text {{rfdef}}.

[KDJ-1] Shōgaku Tosho (1988) 国語大辞典（新装版） [Unabridged Dictionary of Japanese (Revised Edition)] (in Japanese), Tōkyō: Shogakukan, →ISBN

[DJR-2] 2.0 ^2.1 Matsumura, Akira, editor (2006), 大辞林 [Daijirin] (in Japanese), Third edition, Tokyo: Sanseidō, →ISBN

[NHK-3] NHK Broadcasting Culture Research Institute, editor (1998), NHK日本語発音アクセント辞典 [NHK Japanese Pronunciation Accent Dictionary] (in Japanese), Tokyo: NHK Publishing, Inc., →ISBN

[1]

[2]

[3]