弟 meaning and stroke order
Younger brother; junior male; I (modest word in letter)
How to write 弟, stroke by stroke
7 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
- 2
- 3
- 4
- 5
- 6
- 7
Meaning of 弟
Definitions from CC-CEDICT, grouped by pronunciation.
- younger brother
- junior male
- I (modest word in letter)
- variant of 悌[ti4]
How 弟 is built
Components of the character.
Radical: 弓 (bow), shared by 29 characters on this site.
How to remember 弟
弟 has 弓 (gōng, bow) in the middle with two little strokes 丷 on top, like a younger brother proudly carrying his big sibling's bow. Picture the small one trailing behind with the bow to remember 'younger brother'.
On its own 弟 is rare in speech. People say 弟弟 (dìdi) for a younger brother, and 弟 appears in words like 兄弟 (xiōngdì, brothers) and 徒弟 (túdì, apprentice). Example: 我有一个弟弟。(Wǒ yǒu yí ge dìdi.) I have a younger brother.
Common mistake: Learners often confuse 弟 with 第 (dì, the ordinal prefix in 第一 dì-yī), which has the same sound but adds the bamboo top ⺮. Also, in 弟弟 the second syllable is neutral tone: dìdi, not dìdì.
Common words with 弟
Ordered by HSK level, then by how often they appear in everyday Chinese.
| Word | Pinyin | Meaning | Level |
|---|---|---|---|
| 弟弟 | dìdi | younger brother | HSK 1 |
| 兄弟 | xiōngdì | brothers; younger brother | HSK 4 |
| 徒弟 | túdì | apprentice; disciple | HSK 6 |
| 弟子 | dìzǐ | disciple; follower | HSK 7-9 |
| 子弟 | zǐdì | child; the younger generation | HSK 7-9 |
| 老弟 | lǎodì | (affectionate form of address for a male who is not very much younger than oneself) my boy | |
| 小弟 | xiǎodì | little brother; I, your little brother (humble) | |
| 小弟弟 | xiǎodìdi | little brother; little boy | |
| 表弟 | biǎodì | younger male cousin through a female relative | |
| 弟兄 | dìxiong | brothers; comrade | |
| 兄弟姐妹 | xiōngdìjiěmèi | brothers and sisters; siblings | |
| 兄弟会 | xiōngdìhuì | fraternity | |
| 弟兄们 | dìxiōngmen | brothers; comrades | |
| 纨绔子弟 | wánkùzǐdì | (idiom) hedonistic son of rich parents |
弟 in example sentences
Real sentences from the Tatoeba project, with pinyin and English.
Characters that contain 弟
Learning 弟 makes these easier to recognize and write.
Questions about 弟
How many strokes are in 弟?
弟 is written with 7 strokes. The diagrams on this page number every stroke in the order it is written, with the new stroke shown in red.
What does 弟 mean?
弟 (dì) means younger brother; junior male; I (modest word in letter). A common word with it is 弟弟 (dìdi), meaning "younger brother".
How do you pronounce 弟?
弟 is pronounced dì, in the fourth tone (falling).
What is the radical of 弟?
The radical of 弟 is 弓, which carries the idea of "bow". Dictionaries list 弟 under this radical.
Is 弟 on the HSK exam?
Yes. 弟 is part of the HSK 1 character list in the HSK 3.0 standard, and you are expected to write it by hand from HSK 2.
What is the difference between 弟弟 and 兄弟?
弟弟 (dìdi) means only a younger brother. 兄弟 (xiōngdì) means brothers in general, and among friends it can mean 'buddy' or 'bro'.
Can 弟 be used to refer to myself?
Yes, in a humble way. 小弟 (xiǎodì) can mean 'I, your little brother' when a man speaks modestly to peers, and in old letters 弟 alone could mean 'I'.