弟 (dì) - Meaning, Stroke Order & Audio

弟

dì[di4]Tone 4

younger brother

HSK 1

Multiple Readings (多音字):

Guru Deep Dive

English · younger brother

Cached lesson

1 / 1

Topology:Single character

Strokes:7

Writing Balance Rule: Ensure the vertical hanging stroke (shù) in the center starts high and drops straight down as the sturdy spine of the character.

1. Meaning

younger brother

junior maleI (modest self-reference used in traditional letters)

NounNeutral#family#relationships#kinship

Sample Usage

他是我弟弟。
tā shì wǒ dìdi.
He is my younger brother.
我有两个弟弟。
wǒ yǒu liǎng gè dìdi.
I have two younger brothers.

2. Sound

/[ti⁵¹]/Tone: 51

弟

dìdi4

`(51)

=dì

Initial Consonant

Type: Unaspirated Alveolar

Sounds like: d sound in English dog

Unaspirated

Airflow Tactile Test: No puff of air. Tissue remains still (sounds like English 't' in 'stop').

Tongue & Mouth Position: Tongue tip touches the alveolar ridge behind the upper front teeth, releasing a gentle voiced stop.

Final Rhyme

Vowel Group: -i vowel group

Sounds like: ee sound in meet

Mouth Shape Guide: Pronounce as standalone vowel 'ee'.

Common Learner Trap: Keep vowel quality steady across all 4 tone contours.

Tone

T4 (51)

5 → 1 (51)

4th Tone (High-Falling)

Tone Pitch & Cadence: Tone 4 starts high and drops abruptly to the bottom, like shouting a sharp 'No!' or giving a command.

Sandhi: When followed by another fourth-tone syllable or when used in the reduplicated neutral-tone form 'dìdi', the second syllable loses its stress and becomes a neutral tone.

👂

Listening trap: Confusing the fourth tone (dì) with the third tone (dǐ) or first tone (dī) due to rapid conversational speech.

👋

Physical Tone Gesture: A sharp nod of the head downwards, matching the 51 falling pitch.

3. Writing

Topology: Single character · Strokes: 7 strokes

Writing Balance Rule: Ensure the vertical hanging stroke (shù) in the center starts high and drops straight down as the sturdy spine of the character.

4. Components

Radical 弓 · Bow Radical (bow (weapon))

Semantic Clue (形旁): 弓 (Represents the ancient bow binding or wrapping structure)

A bow (弓) wrapped with strings or vertical ties, symbolizing the junior sibling who assists and follows the older brother.

弓 Bow radical representing shape and structure
丨 Vertical piercing stroke representing the younger brother lined up behind

Phonetic Family (形声字家族)

11· Phonetic Root: 弟 (dì)

5. History

Liushu category: Pictogram (象形)

Origin: Originally depicted a wooden winding stick wrapped with rope or a measuring cord, later borrowed to mean younger brother due to junior ranking.

Semantic Evolution: Shifted from the physical act of winding or binding cordage to designate the junior male sibling in the family hierarchy.

In traditional Chinese kinship terms, birth order strictly dictates hierarchy, making 'dì' a foundational social concept.

6. Sinosphere

🇯🇵

Kanji (Japanese)

On: テイ (tei), ダイ (dai) / Kun: おとうと (otouto)

🇰🇷

Hanja (Korean)

제

7. Memory

Vivid Mnemonic Story

Your younger brother (dì) is holding a bow (弓) while practicing archery in the backyard, shooting arrows straight down the vertical line.

Phonetic Family (形声字家族)

弟

dìyounger brotherBase character for junior male.

第

dìprefix for ordinal numbersAdds the bamboo crown (⺮) on top to denote sequence.

递

dìto hand over, to deliverAdds the movement radical (⾡) to show passing things along.

Lookalikes & Traps (形近字)

第(dì)

第 has the bamboo head (⺮) on top for numbering; 弟 does not have it.

8. Mastery

Active Recall Challenge

他是我[___]。

Clue: dì di

Common Learner Pitfall

Forgetting the vertical stroke in the middle or confusing 弟 with 第 when writing ordinal numbers.

Memory Prompts

Recognition: What does 弟 mean and how is it pronounced?

Production: How do you write the character for 'younger brother' (dì)?

弟dìyounger brother

Speed:

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