Vietnamese · Family & People
em trai
Younger brother
Beginnernoun
Definition
A younger male sibling; em means younger sibling.
Example
Em trai tôi thích đá bóng.
My younger brother likes playing football.
Etymology
'Em trai' comes from 'em', denoting younger siblings, and 'trai' meaning boy. The structure reflects a linguistic tradition in Vietnamese that categorizes siblings by age hierarchy.
How & Where It’s Used
'Em trai' is commonly used in casual spoken language when referring to or addressing younger brothers. It’s utilized in various social contexts, maintaining a casual register, recognizable across regional dialects.