兄 meaning and stroke order
Elder brother
How to write 兄, stroke by stroke
5 strokes in order. Each box adds the next stroke in red. Write top to bottom and left to right, and finish enclosing strokes last.
- 1
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- 4
- 5
Meaning of 兄
Definitions from CC-CEDICT, grouped by pronunciation.
- elder brother
How 兄 is built
Ideographic (compound meaning) character. Older brother 儿 speaking 口 to younger ones.
Radical: 儿 (son), shared by 24 characters on this site.
How to remember 兄
兄 (xiōng) is a mouth 口 on top of legs 儿, like a person who is mostly mouth. Picture the older brother 儿 speaking 口 to the younger ones and telling them what to do.
In everyday speech people say 哥哥 (gēge) for their own older brother, while 兄 mostly appears in compounds and more formal or written language. It is common in words like 兄弟 (xiōngdì) and 兄弟姐妹 (xiōngdìjiěmèi). Example: 你有兄弟姐妹吗？(Nǐ yǒu xiōngdìjiěmèi ma?) Do you have any siblings?
Common mistake: Learners often confuse 兄 with 只 (zhǐ), which also has 口 on top but has two short dots below instead of the legs 儿. Also, 兄 alone is rarely used to call your own brother in speech, so say 哥哥 (gēge) instead.
Common words with 兄
Ordered by HSK level, then by how often they appear in everyday Chinese.
| Word | Pinyin | Meaning | Level |
|---|---|---|---|
| 兄弟 | xiōngdì | brothers; younger brother | HSK 4 |
| 老兄 | lǎoxiōng | elder brother (often used self-referentially); (form of address between male friends) old | |
| 弟兄 | dìxiong | brothers; comrade | |
| 师兄 | shīxiōng | senior male fellow disciple or student (by seniority, not age); son of one's teacher who i | |
| 兄弟姐妹 | xiōngdìjiěmèi | brothers and sisters; siblings | |
| 兄弟会 | xiōngdìhuì | fraternity | |
| 弟兄们 | dìxiōngmen | brothers; comrades | |
| 兄妹 | xiōngmèi | brother(s) and sister(s) | |
| 表兄 | biǎoxiōng | older male cousin through a female relative | |
| 堂兄 | tángxiōng | older male patrilineal cousin | |
| 兄长 | xiōngzhǎng | elder brother; term of respect for a man of about the same age | |
| 表兄弟 | biǎoxiōngdì | male cousin through a female relative | |
| 堂兄弟 | tángxiōngdì | father's brother's sons; paternal male cousin | |
| 仁兄 | rénxiōng | (honorific written address) My dear friend |
兄 in example sentences
Real sentences from the Tatoeba project, with pinyin and English.
Characters that contain 兄
Learning 兄 makes these easier to recognize and write.
Questions about 兄
How many strokes are in 兄?
兄 is written with 5 strokes. The diagrams on this page number every stroke in the order it is written, with the new stroke shown in red.
What does 兄 mean?
兄 (xiōng) means elder brother. A common word with it is 兄弟 (xiōngdì), meaning "brothers; younger brother".
How do you pronounce 兄?
兄 is pronounced xiōng, in the first tone (high and level).
What is the radical of 兄?
The radical of 兄 is 儿, which carries the idea of "son". Dictionaries list 兄 under this radical.
Is 兄 on the HSK exam?
Yes. 兄 is part of the HSK 4 character list in the HSK 3.0 standard, and you are expected to write it by hand from HSK 2.
Does 兄弟 mean brothers or younger brother?
It depends on the tone of 弟. 兄弟 (xiōngdì) means brothers, while xiōngdi with a neutral tone can mean younger brother. Men also use 兄弟 to address close male friends, like saying bro.
What is the difference between 兄弟 and 弟兄?
Both can mean brothers, but 弟兄 (dìxiong) often has a sense of comrades or fellows in a group. 弟兄们 (dìxiōngmen) is commonly used to address a group of men, such as teammates or soldiers.