dai6 dai6弟弟
Jyutpingdai6 dai6
Yaledaih daih
Definition
Younger brother; the written Chinese term and its pronunciation.
writtenfamilypeople
How it's used
Using 弟弟 in spoken Cantonese is highly unnatural because it is strictly a written term. In everyday conversation, Hong Kongers always use 細佬 to refer to a younger brother. You will mostly encounter 弟弟 in formal writing, news reports, or when reading aloud from a textbook.
Measure word
go3個goExamples
He has a younger brother studying abroad.
How old is your younger brother this year?
Related words
Common phrases
biological younger brother
Common mistake
Learners often mistakenly use 弟弟 in casual speech because they see it in textbooks. Using it in a conversation with friends will make you sound like you are reading from a script or trying to speak Mandarin.
Grammar color guide
Noun
Verb
Adjective
Adverb
Pronoun
Classifier
Particle
Connector
Grammar guides
- QuestionsFrom yes or no questions to asking who, what, where, and when. The patterns you need to ask questions naturally in Cantonese.
- ClassifiersCantonese puts a classifier between a number and a noun, and a bare classifier on its own can mean the. Learn the common ones and how to use them.
- ComparisonsHow to say bigger than, the most, the same as, and not as good as. Cantonese uses 過 where Mandarin uses 比, and that catches a lot of learners out.
