哥 gē — elder brother
我哥哥比我大三岁。Wǒ gē ge bǐ wǒ dà sān suì.My older brother is three years older than me.
Common words: 哥哥 (gē ge)、大哥 (dà gē)、帅哥 (shuài gē)
Meaning Index
Chinese characters meaning "elder brother"
Learn Chinese characters with the meaning "elder brother", including 哥 (gē), 兄 (xiōng), 昆 (kūn). Study pinyin, English meanings, traditional forms…
How to Study This Meaning Group
The English word "elder brother" covers 3 different Chinese characters — 哥 (gē), 兄 (xiōng), 昆 (kūn) — and each is its own word with its own feel. These 3 characters do not share a sound — their readings span gē, xiōng, kūn — so confirm the pinyin and tone for each one separately. The example sentences further down show how 哥 and the others are actually used, so you learn them in context rather than as a single translation.
- 哥 gēelder brotherUseful words: 哥哥, 大哥
- 兄 xiōngelder brotherUseful words: 兄弟, 年兄
- 昆 kūnKunlun mountains; descendant; elder brotherUseful words: 昆虫, 昆布
Common words for these 3 "elder brother" characters
Anchor each of these 3 characters in a word you can picture — start with 哥 (gē) — so "elder brother" turns into concrete usage instead of a one-to-one translation.
哥哥gē geolder brother大哥dà gēeldest brother; big brother (polite address for a man of about the same age as oneself); gang leader; boss帅哥shuài gēhandsome guy; lady-killer; handsome (form of address)兄弟xiōng dìbrothers; younger brother; I, me (humble term used by men in public speech); brotherly年兄nián xiōnglit. older brother; fig. fellow students who are successful in the imperial examinations家兄jiā xiōng(polite) my elder brother昆虫kūn chónginsect昆布kūn bùkelp昆玉kūn yùhonorific term for another person's brother
See each character in a sentence
Each character below is shown in a short example sentence with pinyin and an English translation — the quickest way to feel the difference between the 3 ways to say "elder brother".
兄 xiōng — elder brother
他们兄弟两个感情很好。Tā men xiōng dì liǎng ge gǎn qíng hěn hǎo.The two brothers have a good relationship.
Common words: 兄弟 (xiōng dì)、年兄 (nián xiōng)、家兄 (jiā xiōng)
昆 kūn — Kunlun mountains; descendant; elder brother
蝴蝶和蜜蜂都是常见的昆虫。Hú dié hé mì fēng dōu shì cháng jiàn de kūn chóng.Butterflies and bees are both common insects.
Common words: 昆虫 (kūn chóng)、昆布 (kūn bù)、昆玉 (kūn yù)
All 3 characters
Open 哥、兄、昆 or any character below to hear it read aloud and see it used in an example sentence.