Definition

1. Noun:
   • A younger adopted brother; a foster brother: "nghĩa đệ" refers to a male who is younger than the speaker and has been formally taken into the family through adoption or a sworn brotherhood pact, creating a familial bond not based on blood relation.

Usage Examples

• Noun:
  • Anh ấy coi người bạn thân nhất của mình như nghĩa đệ. (He considers his closest friend to be his sworn younger brother.)
  • Sau khi được nhận làm con nuôi, cậu bé trở thành nghĩa đệ của tôi. (After being adopted, the boy became my foster younger brother.)

Advanced Usage

• This term is somewhat archaic or literary in modern Vietnamese. It is more commonly found in historical contexts, classical literature (like "Tam Quốc Diễn Nghĩa" - ), or in formal/oath-bound relationships rather than in everyday conversation about modern legal adoption.
• It implies a deep, loyal bond, often formalized through a ceremony or pact, similar to "sworn brothers."

Variants and Related Words

• Nghĩa huynh (noun): An older adopted brother; a foster elder brother.
  • Ông ấy là nghĩa huynh của cha tôi. (He is my father's sworn older brother.)
• Em nuôi (noun): A general, modern term for an adopted younger sibling (brother or sister).
• Kết nghĩa (verb): To swear an oath of brotherhood/sisterhood; to become sworn siblings.
  • Họ đã kết nghĩa huynh đệ trong một buổi lễ. (They swore an oath of brotherhood in a ceremony.)

Synonyms

• Em trai nuôi: Adopted younger brother (more common in contemporary usage).
• Em kết nghĩa: Sworn younger brother.

Notes on Different Meanings

• The word "nghĩa" here means "righteousness," "duty," or "bond," indicating a relationship based on moral commitment rather than biology.
• The word "đệ" specifically means "younger brother."
• Do not confuse with "nghĩa địa" (cemetery), which is a completely different compound word.

1. Younger brother byadoption, foster-brother