Definitions
(noun)
elder brother
Etymology
Duplicate of 可, which has a similar sound.
About
The character 哥, in its traditional form, is itself a simplified iteration of an earlier character, having originated as an alternative writing for "歌" (song), which is composed of 可 (may, can) and 欠 (a pictograph of a person breathing out). Its own structure is a straightforward duplication of the component 可, a visual repetition that conceptually implies a sequence or succession. This structural logic facilitated its semantic shift from denoting a musical refrain or a series of notes to representing a male sibling born earlier in the familial sequence. Over time, this familial meaning became dominant and completely supplanted the original musical association, solidifying 哥's primary modern usage as a term for an elder brother while the original complex form 歌 retained the meaning of song.
Etymology Hide
Example Sentences Hide
他是我的哥哥。
哥哥喜欢看电影。
我哥哥今天去学校。
大哥从北京回来了。
哥哥经常帮助我学习。
我哥哥和他的朋友一起去旅行。
大哥在跨国公司担任高级经理。
虽然哥哥很忙，但他还是抽时间陪我。