Meaning
哥哥 refers to one's older brother or a male relative who is older than oneself in the same generation. It is a kinship term used within families and also sometimes used by children to address older boys or young men as a term of respect.
Usage
哥哥 is the standard, affectionate term for older brother in Mandarin. In casual speech, it's often shortened to just 哥 (gē). It can also be used by children to politely address older boys or young men they don't know, similar to saying 'big brother' in English. The term emphasizes respect for age hierarchy within Chinese family culture.
Examples
- 01我哥哥在北京工作。.My older brother works in Beijing.
- 02哥哥，你能帮我一下吗？, ?Big brother, can you help me?
Characters
Measure words
- 个一个哥哥
Common collocations
- 亲哥哥biological older brother
- 表哥older male cousin
- 堂哥older paternal male cousin
Antonyms
Origin
The character 哥 originally combined the radical for 'mouth' (口) repeated twice over the radical for 'able' or '可', suggesting someone who can speak or has authority. The doubling in 哥哥 is a common reduplication pattern in Chinese kinship terms that adds affection and familiarity.