How to Write 弟 (dì) — Meaning “younger brother”

Imagine the radical 弓 (bow) as a curved stick, and the right side looks like a little person (the younger brother) standing next to it. The small dot and strokes can remind you of a younger sibling tagging along behind an older one.

Start with the left component 弓: write the horizontal hook, then the two vertical bends. The right side begins with a short horizontal stroke, then a vertical line through the middle, followed by two short horizontal strokes and a final vertical hook. A common mistake is making the right side too wide or forgetting the final hook.

弗 (fú, meaning 'not') lacks the right-side strokes of 弟 – it has only a simple vertical line through the left component. 弘 (hóng, meaning 'great' or 'enlarge') has a left side 弓 and a right side that looks like a curved hook (厶), not the layered strokes of 弟. So 弟 has a more complex right side with multiple short horizontal lines.

弟 commonly appears in 弟弟 (dì di) for 'younger brother' and 兄弟 (xiōng dì) for 'brothers' or a close male friend. In traditional culture, the order of brothers (兄 elder, 弟 younger) reflects Confucian family hierarchy, emphasizing respect and responsibility within the family.

Common words containing 弟 include: 弟弟 (dì di) — younger brother; 兄弟 (xiōng dì) — brothers; younger brother; 弟子 (dì zǐ) — disciple or student.