The Chinese word **徒弟** is a compound term formed by combining two characters: **徒**, which historically means "follower," "apprentice," or "disciple," and **弟**, meaning "younger brother." Together, they create a concept where the **徒** signifies a person learning a craft or skill, and the **弟** emphasizes the junior, familial-like hierarchical relationship to the master (师父, *shīfu*, "master-father"). Thus, 徒弟 literally translates to "apprentice-younger brother," encapsulating the idea of a junior trainee who is both a student and a subordinate under the guidance and authority of a master in a traditional apprenticeship system.