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兄
🇹🇼🇭🇰🇨🇳🇯🇵🇰🇷

elder brother

HSK 4 N3
Human →Relations
xiōng
ケイ、キョウ
あに
형
Pictograph of a mouth on top of a person, representing an older brother giving orders.
Components
口 mouth+ 人 person =
兄 elder brother
口 Iconic component
kǒu mouth
人 Iconic component
rén person
man
Notes
Similar Characters
佥 all (simp)僉 unanimous (trad)兌 convert (trad)兑 cash (simp)侃 upright and strong兽 bestial (simp)冋 a desert加 add卟 a chemical compound古 ancient叨 talkative叫 call召 summon叭 trumpet叮 sting可 can叱 bawl叶 be in harmony (simp)号 appellation (jp)叹 admire (simp)
Historical Evolution
Oracle (~1250-1000 BC)
Oracle
(~1250-1000 BC)
Oracle (~1250-1000 BC)
Oracle
(~1250-1000 BC)
Oracle (~1250-1000 BC)
Oracle
(~1250-1000 BC)
Oracle (~1250-1000 BC)
Oracle
(~1250-1000 BC)
Bronze Late Shang dynasty (~1100 BC)
Bronze
Late Shang dynasty (~1100 BC)
Bronze Mid Western Zhou (~900 BC)
Bronze
Mid Western Zhou (~900 BC)
Bronze Late Western Zhou (~800 BC)
Bronze
Late Western Zhou (~800 BC)
Bronze Mid Spring and Autumn (~600 BC)
Bronze
Mid Spring and Autumn (~600 BC)
Seal Chu (Warring States: 475-221 BC)
Seal
Chu (Warring States: 475-221 BC)
Seal Chu (Warring States: 475-221 BC)
Seal
Chu (Warring States: 475-221 BC)
Seal Chu (Warring States: 475-221 BC)
Seal
Chu (Warring States: 475-221 BC)
Seal Shuowen (~100 AD)
Seal
Shuowen (~100 AD)
Clerical Qin dynasty (221-206 BC)
Clerical
Qin dynasty (221-206 BC)
Clerical Western Han dynasty (202 BC-9 AD)
Clerical
Western Han dynasty (202 BC-9 AD)
Clerical Western Han dynasty (202 BC-9 AD)
Clerical
Western Han dynasty (202 BC-9 AD)
Seal Western Han dynasty (202 BC-9 AD)
Seal
Western Han dynasty (202 BC-9 AD)
Clerical Jin dynasty (266-420 AD)
Clerical
Jin dynasty (266-420 AD)
Clerical Eastern Han dynasty (25-220 AD)
Clerical
Eastern Han dynasty (25-220 AD)
兄
Regular
Modern
Chinese
兄 [xiōng]
elder brother
Japanese
兄 あに 同音

noun

  1. older brother; elder brother
  2. brother-in-law (spouse's older brother or older sister's husband)
兄 けい 同音
  1. pronoun familiarhonorificmale you (used in letters to address a male friend or superior)
  2. suffix familiarhonorificmale Mr; Mister (used in letters after the name of a male friend or superior)
  3. noun older brother; elder brother (orig. meaning)
兄 にい 同音
n-suf familiar older brother; elder brother
兄 、 首 、 氏上 このかみ 同音

noun

  1. archaic eldest son
  2. archaic older brother; older sister
  3. archaic older person
  4. archaic head of a clan; head of a region
  5. archaic skilled craftsman
Korean
형 [兄]
Noun
older brother; A word used only by a male to refer to or address his male siblings or cousins older than himself.; big brother; A word used only by a male to refer to or address another male older than himself endearingly.
Example Sentences
🇯🇵 (1)
私の兄は技師になった。
My brother became an engineer.
Japanese Names
兄 けい
Kei unclassified name
CHINESE WORDS (58)
兄弟 [xiōng​dì] #400
brothers
老兄 [lǎo​xiōng] #709
elder brother (often used self-referentially)
师兄 [shī​xiōng] #27,411
senior male fellow student or apprentice
师兄 [shī​xiōng] #27,411
senior male fellow student or apprentice
兄妹 [xiōng​mèi] #7,972
brother(s) and sister(s)
弟兄 [dì​xiong] #5,654
brothers
兄长 [xiōng​zhǎng] #14,883
elder brother
兄长 [xiōng​zhǎng] #14,883
elder brother
堂兄 [táng​xiōng] #9,717
older male patrilineal cousin
弟兄们 [dì​xiōng​men] #22,588
brothers
48 more items
JAPANESE WORDS (95)
⭐ 兄弟 [きょうだい] #2,604
siblings
お兄ちゃん [おにいちゃん] #3,056
(one's) older brother
⭐ 兄さん [にいさん] #3,605
older brother
⭐ お兄さん [おにいさん] #3,637
older brother
⭐ 兄貴 [あにき] #3,726
elder brother
兄妹 [けいまい] #4,821
older brother and younger sister
兄様 [にいさま] #8,176
older brother
⭐ 兄ちゃん [にいちゃん] #8,219
(one's) older brother
兄上 [あにうえ] #8,471
older brother
⭐ 義兄 [ぎけい] #12,405
brother-in-law (spouse's older brother or older sister's husband)
85 more items
KOREAN WORDS (10)
형제 #3,657
brothers
형수 #14,058
one's sister-in-law
매형 #35,258
elder sister's husband
난형난제
being almost equal; having trouble telling which is better
노형
nohyeong
부형
one's father and elder brother
의형제
blood brothers; sworn brothers
친형제
one's brother
큰兄
eldest brother
형제애
brotherhood; sisterhood; fraternal affection