brother
/ˈbrʌðə(r)/noun
उच्चारण ब्रदर
भाई
Basic word
- 1
[C]
a boy or man who has the same mother and father as another person; a man who is a member of the same group; (pl. brethren) a member of a religious group
भाई
- my elder brother
- My younger brother is learning to play the guitar.
- Do you have any brothers or sisters?
+ 2 more examples
- He treated his friend like a brother.
- The two brothers run a small shop.
Synonyms sibling bro comrade fellow bhai
Opposite sister
§Structures (grammar patterns) 4
my elder / younger brother; big / little brother
English marks age by the adjectives elder, younger, older, big and little; it has no separate word for each.
अंग्रेज़ी में उम्र बताने के लिए elder, younger, older, big और little जैसे adjective लगते हैं; हर रिश्ते के लिए अलग शब्द नहीं है।
- My elder brother works in a bank.
- Her little brother is learning cricket.
brother of / brother to
Use of for the person whose brother he is; to is less common and used in the sense of being like a brother.
जिसका भाई है उसके लिए of आता है; to कम प्रचलित है और भाई जैसे होने के अर्थ में आता है।
- He is the brother of my classmate.
- He was a brother to the orphan boy.
brothers (plural) vs brethren
The ordinary plural is brothers; brethren is a formal or religious plural for members of a group.
सामान्य plural 'brothers' है; 'brethren' किसी समूह के सदस्यों के लिए औपचारिक या धार्मिक plural है।
- The two brothers run a shop together.
- The monks greeted the brethren.
Brother (title) / brother (address)
Brother is also a title in religious orders, or a friendly form of address for a man.
'Brother' धार्मिक संघों में उपाधि और किसी पुरुष के लिए मित्रवत संबोधन भी है।
- Brother Thomas teaches at the mission school.
- Excuse me, brother, where is the station?
+Collocations 4
adjective + brother
elderyoungertwinstephalf
- Her twin brother studies in the same college.
verb + brother
look up totake afterquarrel withhelpmiss
- She looks up to her elder brother.
brother + noun
in armsin lawhoodsisterbond
- The brother and sister share a strong bond.
fixed phrases
big brotherblood brotherbrother of mercymy brother's keeperbrotherly love
- Am I my brother's keeper?
“More examples 5
- Radhika's brother cooked dinner while she prepared for the exam.
राधिका का भाई खाना बना रहा था जबकि वह परीक्षा की तैयारी कर रही थी।
- The brothers shared the family land equally.
भाइयों ने पारिवारिक ज़मीन आपस में बराबर बाँट ली।
- He treated his friend like a brother.
उसने अपने मित्र के साथ भाई जैसा व्यवहार किया।
- My brother and I walk to school together.
मेरा भाई और मैं साथ-साथ पैदल विद्यालय जाते हैं।
- Her brother-in-law arrived from Lucknow for the wedding.
उसके जीजा या देवर विवाह के लिए लखनऊ से आए।
!Common mistakes 3
✗ My cousin brother lives in Delhi.
✓ My cousin lives in Delhi.
English uses cousin for both male and female cousins; cousin brother is a direct translation of a Hindi term.
अंग्रेज़ी में चचेरे-ममेरे भाई-बहन दोनों के लिए 'cousin' शब्द है; 'cousin brother' हिंदी शब्द का सीधा अनुवाद है।
✗ He is the brother of me.
✓ He is my brother.
Use the possessive adjective, not of me.
'Of me' के बजाय possessive adjective 'my' प्रयोग करें।
✗ I and my brother went to the market.
✓ My brother and I went to the market.
Politeness and style place I last.
शिष्टाचार और शैली के अनुसार I को अंत में रखा जाता है।
¶Idioms 2
Big Brother
a person or organisation that has total power and watches what people do
सब पर नज़र रखने वाली ताक़त या सत्ता
- People worry that Big Brother is watching their every move online.
- The new cameras are a sign of Big Brother in the workplace.
brothers in arms
soldiers who are fighting on the same side; people who are fighting for the same cause
एक ही पक्ष से लड़ने वाले साथी सैनिक, संघर्ष के साथी
- The two veterans had been brothers in arms in 1971.
- The workers stood together as brothers in arms.
◇Word family
§Grammar and usage
The plural is brothers; brethren is used for members of a religious group.
Plural brothers है; brethren धार्मिक समूह के सदस्यों के लिए प्रयुक्त होता है।
Tautology trap: 'cousin brother' is Indian English; in standard English, just say 'cousin'.
Tautology trap: 'cousin brother' भारतीय English है; मानक English में केवल 'cousin' कहें।
“Collocations, idioms and sayings
'Big Brother is watching you' (from George Orwell's 1984, meaning constant government surveillance).
कहावत 'Big Brother is watching you' (George Orwell के 1984 से, अर्थात सरकार की निरंतर निगरानी)।
✓In the exam
One-word substitution
Killing one's brother is fratricide; a brother or sister is a sibling; brother-in-law means the husband of your sister or the brother of your husband or wife.
भाई की हत्या fratricide; भाई या बहन sibling; brother-in-law का अर्थ बहन का पति या पति/पत्नी का भाई है।