哥

哥	U+54E5, 哥 CJK UNIFIED IDEOGRAPH-54E5

Translingual

Stroke order

Han character

哥 (Kangxi radical 30, 口+7, 10 strokes, cangjie input 一口弓口 (MRNR), four-corner 1062₁, composition ⿱⿹丅口可(GHTV) or ⿱可可(JK))

Derived characters

References

Kangxi Dictionary: page 190, character 8
Dai Kanwa Jiten: character 3641
Dae Jaweon: page 409, character 25
Hanyu Da Zidian (first edition): volume 1, page 624, character 19
Unihan data for U+54E5

Chinese

simp. and trad.		哥

Glyph origin

Characters in the same phonetic series (可) (Zhengzhang, 2003)

	Old Chinese
砢	*ɡ·raːlʔ
柯	*kaːl
菏	kaːl, ɡaːl
牁	*kaːl
滒	*kaːl
哥	*kaːl
歌	*kaːl
謌	*kaːl
鴚	*kaːl
哿	*kaːlʔ
舸	*kaːlʔ
笴	kaːlʔ, kaːnʔ
軻	kʰaːl, kʰaːlʔ, *kʰaːls
珂	*kʰaːl
可	*kʰaːlʔ
岢	*kʰaːlʔ
坷	kʰaːlʔ, kʰaːls
蚵	kʰaːls, ɡaːl
呵	qʰaːl, qʰaːls
訶	*qʰaːl
抲	*qʰaːl
荷	qʰaːls, ɡaːl, *ɡaːlʔ
何	ɡaːl, ɡaːlʔ
河	*ɡaːl
苛	*ɡaːl
魺	*ɡaːl
袔	*ɡaːls
阿	*qaːl
妸	qaːl, qaːlʔ
疴	qaːl, kʰraːls
鈳	*qaːl
娿	qaːl, qaːlʔ
痾	*qaːl
跒	*kʰraːlʔ
閜	*qʰraːlʔ

Stacked form of 可 (OC *kʰaːlʔ), perhaps an open mouth with breath going out while talking or singing. In fact, the original meaning of 哥 and perhaps 可 was "to sing; song".

Etymology

“elder brother”: This sense is attested in Medieval Chinese, and became popular during the Tang dynasty, gradually displacing 兄 (MC xjwaeng).; It is a clipping of 阿哥 (MC 'a ka), a borrowing from Xianbei *aqa (“elder brother”) (Mei, 2015). Compare Proto-Mongolic *aka, whence also Mongolian ᠠᠬ᠎ᠠ (ak-a, “elder brother”). Related to 阿干 (MC 'a kan), which is the definite form of the same Xianbei word (Mei, 2015).

Pronunciation

Mandarin
(Standard)
(Pinyin): gē (ge¹)

(Zhuyin): ㄍㄜ

(Chengdu, Sichuanese Pinyin): go¹

(Dungan, Cyrillic and Wiktionary): гә (gə, I)
Cantonese
(Guangzhou–Hong Kong, Jyutping): go¹ / go^1-4

(Taishan, Wiktionary): go²
Gan (Wiktionary): go¹
Hakka
(Sixian, PFS): kô

(Meixian, Guangdong): go¹
Jin (Wiktionary): ge¹
Northern Min (KCR): gó̤
Eastern Min (BUC): gŏ̤
Southern Min
(Hokkien, POJ): ko / ko͘ / koh

(Teochew, Peng'im): go¹
Wu (Shanghai, Wugniu): ¹ku
Xiang (Changsha, Wiktionary): go¹

Mandarin
- (Standard Chinese)⁺
  - Hanyu Pinyin: gē
  - Zhuyin: ㄍㄜ
  - Tongyong Pinyin: ge
  - Wade–Giles: ko¹
  - Yale: gē
  - Gwoyeu Romatzyh: ge
  - Palladius: гэ (gɛ)
  - Sinological IPA ^(key): /kɤ⁵⁵/
- (Standard Chinese, erhua-ed) (哥兒／哥儿)
  - Hanyu Pinyin: gēr
  - Zhuyin: ㄍㄜㄦ
  - Tongyong Pinyin: ger
  - Wade–Giles: ko¹-ʼrh
  - Yale: gēr
  - Gwoyeu Romatzyh: ge'l
  - Palladius: гэр (gɛr)
  - Sinological IPA ^(key): /kɤɻ⁵⁵/
  - Homophones:
    [Show/Hide]
    ^edit
    ^edit
    哥兒／哥儿
    歌兒／歌儿
- (Chengdu)
  - Sichuanese Pinyin: go¹
  - Scuanxua Ladinxua Xin Wenz: go
  - Sinological IPA ^(key): /ko⁵⁵/
- (Dungan)
  - Cyrillic and Wiktionary: гә (gə, I)
  - Sinological IPA ^(key): /kə²⁴/
  (Note: Dungan pronunciation is currently experimental and may be inaccurate.)
Cantonese
- (Standard Cantonese, Guangzhou–Hong Kong)
  - Jyutping: go¹ / go^1-4
  - Yale: gō / gòh
  - Cantonese Pinyin: go¹ / go^1-4
  - Guangdong Romanization: go¹ / go^1-4
  - Sinological IPA ^(key): /kɔː⁵⁵/, /kɔː⁵⁵⁻²¹/
- (Taishanese, Taicheng)
  - Wiktionary: go²
  - Sinological IPA ^(key): /kᵘɔ⁵⁵/
Gan
- (Nanchang)
  - Wiktionary: go¹
  - Sinological IPA ^(key): /ko⁴²/
Hakka
- (Sixian, incl. Miaoli and Neipu)
  - Pha̍k-fa-sṳ: kô
  - Hakka Romanization System: go^ˊ
  - Hagfa Pinyim: go¹
  - Sinological IPA: /ko²⁴/
- (Meixian)
  - Guangdong: go¹
  - Sinological IPA: /ko⁴⁴/
Jin
- (Taiyuan)⁺
  - Wiktionary: ge¹
  - Sinological IPA (old-style): /kɤ¹¹/
Northern Min
- (Jian'ou)
  - Kienning Colloquial Romanized: gó̤
  - Sinological IPA ^(key): /kɔ⁵⁴/
Eastern Min
- (Fuzhou)
  - Bàng-uâ-cê: gŏ̤
  - Sinological IPA ^(key): /ko⁵⁵/
Southern Min
- (Hokkien: Xiamen, Quanzhou, Zhangzhou, General Taiwanese)
  - Pe̍h-ōe-jī: ko
  - Tâi-lô: ko
  - Phofsit Daibuun: koy
  - IPA (Kaohsiung): /kɤ⁴⁴/
  - IPA (Quanzhou): /ko³³/
  - IPA (Xiamen, Zhangzhou, Taipei): /ko⁴⁴/
- (Hokkien: Quanzhou)
  - Pe̍h-ōe-jī: ko͘
  - Tâi-lô: koo
  - Phofsit Daibuun: kof
  - IPA (Quanzhou): /kɔ³³/
- (Hokkien: General Taiwanese)
  - Pe̍h-ōe-jī: koh
  - Tâi-lô: koh
  - Phofsit Daibuun: koiq
  - IPA (Taipei): /koʔ³²/
  - IPA (Kaohsiung): /kɤʔ³²/

Note: koh - only in 哥哥.

- (Teochew)
  - Peng'im: go¹
  - Pe̍h-ōe-jī-like: ko
  - Sinological IPA ^(key): /ko³³/
Wu
- (Northern: Shanghai)
  - Wugniu: ¹ku
  - MiniDict: ku^平
  - Wiktionary Romanisation (Shanghai): ¹ku
  - Sinological IPA (Shanghai): /ku⁵³/
Xiang
- (Changsha)
  - Wiktionary: go¹
  - Sinological IPA ^(key): /ko³³/

Middle Chinese: ka

Rime
Character	哥
Reading #	1/1
Initial (聲)	見 (28)
Final (韻)	歌 (94)
Tone (調)	Level (Ø)
Openness (開合)	Open
Division (等)	I
Fanqie	古俄切
Baxter	ka
Reconstructions
Zhengzhang Shangfang	/kɑ/
Pan Wuyun	/kɑ/
Shao Rongfen	/kɑ/
Edwin Pulleyblank	/ka/
Li Rong	/kɑ/
Wang Li	/kɑ/
Bernhard Karlgren	/kɑ/
Expected Mandarin Reflex	gē
Expected Cantonese Reflex	go¹

Old Chinese
(Zhengzhang): /*kaːl/

Zhengzhang system (2003)
Character	哥
Reading #	1/1
No.	7437
Phonetic component	可
Rime group	歌
Rime subdivision	1
Corresponding MC rime	歌
Old Chinese	/*kaːl/
Notes	後作歌

Definitions

哥

older brother; elder brother
older male relative of the same generation
(honorific) term of address for a male person of the same age or older
Short for 哥斯達黎加／哥斯达黎加 (Gēsīdálíjiā, “Costa Rica”).
^† Original form of 歌 (gē, “to sing; song”).

Synonyms

Dialectal synonyms of 哥哥 (“elder brother”) [map]

Variety	Location	Words edit
Classical Chinese		兄
Formal (Written Standard Chinese)		哥哥, 兄長
Northeastern Mandarin	Beijing	哥哥, 哥
	Taiwan	哥哥, 哥
	Harbin	哥哥
	Shenyang	哥哥
	Malaysia	哥哥
	Singapore	哥哥
Jilu Mandarin	Jinan	哥哥
Jiaoliao Mandarin	Yantai (Muping)	哥
Central Plains Mandarin	Luoyang	哥
	Wanrong	哥
	Xi'an	哥
	Xining	阿哥
	Xuzhou	哥哥
Lanyin Mandarin	Yinchuan	哥哥
Lanyin Mandarin	Ürümqi	哥哥, 哥, 阿哥 Hui, ><
Southwestern Mandarin	Chengdu	哥哥, 哥, 哥老倌兒, 哥老倌
	Wuhan	哥哥
	Guiyang	哥哥, 哥
	Kunming	哥哥
	Liuzhou	哥
Jianghuai Mandarin	Nanjing	哥哥
	Yangzhou	哥哥, 哥
	Hefei	哥哥
Cantonese	Guangzhou	大佬, 阿哥, 哥哥 ><
	Hong Kong	大佬, 阿哥, 哥哥
	Hong Kong (San Tin; Weitou)	哥哥 ><, 大佬 <>, 阿哥 <>
	Hong Kong (Kam Tin; Weitou)	哥哥 ><, 大佬 <>
	Hong Kong (Ting Kok)	阿哥
	Hong Kong (Tung Ping Chau)	哥哥 ><, 阿哥 <>
	Macau	阿哥 ><, 大佬
	Guangzhou (Panyu)	阿哥 ><, 大哥, 大佬 <>
	Guangzhou (Huashan, Huadu)	阿哥 ><, 大佬 <>
	Guangzhou (Conghua)	阿哥 ><, 大佬 <>
	Guangzhou (Zengcheng)	阿哥 ><, 大佬 <>
	Foshan	阿哥 ><, 大佬 <>
	Foshan (Shatou, Nanhai)	阿哥
	Foshan (Shunde)	阿哥 ><, 大佬 <>
	Foshan (Sanshui)	阿哥 ><, 大佬 <>
	Foshan (Mingcheng, Gaoming)	阿哥 ><, 大佬 <>
	Zhongshan (Shiqi)	阿哥 ><, 大佬 <>
	Zhuhai (Qianshan, Xiangzhou)	阿哥 ><, 大佬 <>
	Zhuhai (Shangheng, Doumen; Tanka)	阿哥 ><, 大佬 <>
	Zhuhai (Doumen)	阿哥 ><, 大佬 <>
	Jiangmen (Baisha)	阿哥 ><, 大佬 <>
	Jiangmen (Xinhui)	阿哥 ><, 大佬 <>
	Taishan	阿哥 ><, 大佬 <>, 哥
	Kaiping (Chikan)	阿哥 ><, 大佬 <>
	Enping (Niujiang)	阿哥 ><, 大佬 <>
	Heshan (Yayao)	阿哥 ><, 大佬 <>
	Dongguan	阿哥 ><, 大佬 <>
	Shenzhen (Shajing, Bao'an)	阿哥 ><, 大佬 <>
	Yangjiang	大佬, 阿哥
	Nanning	阿哥, 哥哥, 大佬
	Wuzhou	阿哥, 哥哥, 大佬
	Kuala Lumpur (Guangfu)	阿哥 ><, 大佬 <>
	Singapore (Guangfu)	大佬, 哥哥
Gan	Nanchang	哥哥 ><, 兄 <>
Gan	Lichuan	哥 ><, 兄 <>
Hakka	Meixian	阿哥
	Xingning	阿哥
	Huizhou (Huicheng; Bendihua)	阿哥
	Huiyang	阿哥
	Huidong (Daling)	阿哥
	Dongguan (Qingxi)	阿哥
	Shenzhen (Shatoujiao)	阿哥
	Zhongshan (Nanlang Heshui)	阿哥
	Wuhua (Shuizhai)	阿哥
	Wuhua (Huacheng)	阿哥
	Wuhua (Changbu)	阿哥
	Wuhua (Mianyang)	阿哥
	Wuhua (Meilin)	阿哥
	Heyuan (Bendihua)	阿哥
	Wengyuan	阿哥
	Shaoguan (Qujiang)	哥哥
	Lianshan (Xiaosanjiang)	阿哥
	Liannan	阿哥
	Guangzhou (Lütian, Conghua)	阿哥
	Jiexi	阿哥, 哥
	Luhe	阿哥
	Zhao'an (Xiuzhuan)	阿哥
	Changting	老伯
	Wuping	老伯
	Wuping (Yanqian)	老伯哩
	Wuping (Pingyu)	哥
	Liancheng	老伯
	Ninghua	老伯
	Yudu	哥哥, 老伯
	Ningdu	哥哥
	Ruijin	哥哥, 老兄
	Shicheng	老伯
	Shangyou (Shexi)	老伯
	Tonggu (Sandu)	哥哥
	Ganzhou (Panlong)	老伯
	Dayu	哥哥
	Miaoli (N. Sixian)	阿哥
	Pingtung (Neipu; S. Sixian)	阿哥
	Hsinchu County (Zhudong; Hailu)	阿哥
	Taichung (Dongshi; Dabu)	阿哥
	Hsinchu County (Qionglin; Raoping)	阿哥
	Yunlin (Lunbei; Zhao'an)	阿哥
	Hong Kong	阿哥
	Yangxi (Tangkou)	阿哥
	Yangchun (Sanjia)	阿哥
	Xinyi (Sihe)	大佬
	Xinyi (Qianpai)	阿哥, 大佬
	Gaozhou (Xindong)	阿哥
	Maoming (Shalang, Dianbai)	阿哥
	Huazhou (Xin'an)	阿哥
	Lianjiang (Shijiao)	阿哥
	Lianjiang (Qingping)	阿哥, 大哥
	Mengshan (Xihe)	哥
	Luchuan	哥
	Sabah (Bao'an)	阿哥
	Sabah (Longchuan)	阿哥
	Senai (Huiyang)	阿哥
	Sungai Tapang, Batu Kawa (Hepo)	阿哥
	Singkawang	阿哥
Huizhou	Jixi	哥哥
Jin	Taiyuan	哥哥, 哥
Northern Min	Jian'ou	哥仔, 哥哥
Eastern Min	Fuzhou	依哥
	Fuqing	哥, 阿哥
	Matsu	依哥
	Singapore (Fuqing)	阿哥
Southern Min	Xiamen	阿兄, 阿哥, 兄哥, 俺兄
	Quanzhou	阿兄
	Jinjiang	大兄
	Yongchun	阿哥, 哥, 阿兄, 兄
	Dehua	阿兄
	Zhangzhou	阿兄, 咉兄 <>
	Zhao'an	兄, 阿兄
	Taipei	阿兄
	New Taipei (Sanxia)	阿兄
	Kaohsiung	兄哥
	Yilan	阿兄
	Changhua (Lukang)	阿兄
	Taichung	大兄
	Taichung (Wuqi)	阿兄
	Tainan	阿哥, 兄哥, 兄哥仔
	Taitung	大兄
	Hsinchu	阿兄
	Kinmen	阿兄
	Penghu (Magong)	阿兄
	Penang (Hokkien)	阿哥, 哥, 哥哥
	Singapore (Hokkien)	阿兄, 大兄
	Manila (Hokkien)	阿兄, 哥仔 archaic
	Chaozhou	阿兄
	Shantou	阿兄
	Jieyang	阿兄
	Bangkok (Teochew)	阿兄
	Johor Bahru (Teochew)	阿兄
	Singapore (Teochew)	阿兄
	Leizhou	兄 ><, 尼兄 <>
	Wenchang	阿哥
	Haikou	阿兄 ><, 阿哥 ><, 兄 <>
	Singapore (Hainanese)	阿哥
Puxian Min	Putian	阿兄
Puxian Min	Xianyou	阿兄
Zhongshan Min	Zhongshan (Longdu, Shaxi)	哥 ><, 大佬 <>
Southern Pinghua	Nanning (Tingzi)	阿哥
Wu	Shanghai	阿哥, 哥哥
	Shanghai (Chongming)	阿哥
	Suzhou	阿哥
	Danyang	哥哥
	Hangzhou	阿哥, 哥哥
	Ningbo	哥哥, 阿哥
	Wenzhou	阿大, 哥哥
	Jinhua	哥哥 ><, 哥 <>
Xiang	Changsha	老兄, 哥哥
	Shuangfeng	老兄, 哥哥
	Hengyang	老兄 <>, 哥哥 ><
Note	>< - face-to-face; <> - non-face-to-face

Compounds

也麼哥／也么哥
二哥 (èrgē)
二哥大
佛來明哥／佛来明哥
伴哥
佛朗哥 (Fólǎnggē)
八哥 (bāgē)
公子哥兒／公子哥儿 (gōngzǐgēr)
叫哥哥
哥們兒／哥们儿 (gēmenr)
哥倆好／哥俩好
哥倫布／哥伦布 (Gēlúnbù)
哥倫比亞／哥伦比亚 (Gēlúnbǐyà)
哥兒／哥儿 (gēr)
哥兒們／哥儿们 (gērmen)
哥兒倆／哥儿俩 (gēr liǎ)
哥兒大爺／哥儿大爷
哥哥
哥子
哥德式 (gēdéshì)
哥白尼 (Gēbáiní)
哥窯／哥窑
哥老會／哥老会 (Gēlǎohuì)
哥舒翰
哥薩克／哥萨克 (gēsàkè)
堂哥 (tánggē)
大哥 (dàgē)
大哥大 (dàgēdà)
大拇哥 (dàmǔgē)
大阿哥
奴哥
嬌哥兒／娇哥儿
安哥拉 (Āngēlā)
安哥拉兔 (āngēlā tù)
安童哥
小二哥
小哥 (xiǎogē)
小哥兒們／小哥儿们 (xiǎogērmen)
布爾哥尼／布尔哥尼
帥哥／帅哥 (shuàigē)
師哥／师哥
愛八哥兒／爱八哥儿
挑大拇哥
摩洛哥 (Móluògē)
摩納哥／摩纳哥 (Mónàgē)
斑哥
木伴哥
柏青哥 (bóqīnggē)
歪哥 (wāigē)
波哥大 (Bōgēdà)
溫哥華／温哥华 (Wēngēhuá)
特哥大
牽豬哥／牵猪哥
老哥 (lǎogē)
老哥兒們／老哥儿们
老哥兒倆／老哥儿俩
老哥哥
老大哥 (lǎodàgē)
耶律休哥
聖地牙哥／圣地牙哥 (Shèngdìyágē)
胖哥
膝頭哥／膝头哥
芝加哥 (Zhījiāgē)
蒙哥 (Ménggē)
蒙哥馬利／蒙哥马利 (Ménggēmǎlì)
表哥 (biǎogē)
袍哥
酷哥
鐵哥們／铁哥们
阿三哥
阿兵哥 (ābīnggē)
阿哥
阿哥哥 (āgēgē)
鸚哥／鹦哥 (yīnggē)
鸚哥綠／鹦哥绿 (yīnggēlǜ)
墨西哥 (Mòxīgē)
墨西哥城 (Mòxīgēchéng)
墨西哥灣／墨西哥湾 (Mòxīgē Wān)
鼻哥

Descendants

→ Thai: โก (goo, “older brother”) (typically said by ethnic Chinese)

Japanese

Kanji

哥

(Hyōgai kanji)

kanji used to transliterate borrowings from foreign languages
Alternative form of 歌 (“sing, singing”)
elder brother

Readings

Go-on: か (ka)
Kan-on: か (ka)
Tō-on: こ (ko)
Kun: あに (ani, 哥)、にい (nii, 哥)、うた (uta, 哥)、うたう (utau, 哥う)^{←うたふ (utafu, 哥ふ, historical)}

Compounds

哥(うた)沢(ざわ) (utazawa)
哥(か)窯(よう) (Kayō)
哥(か)老(ろう)会(かい) (Karōkai)
哥里米汗(クリムハン)国(こく) (kurimuhankoku)
鸚(いん)哥(こ) (inko)
哥(コ)倫(ロン)比(ビ)亜(ア) (Koronbia)
八(ハッ)哥(カ)鳥(チョウ) (hakkachō), 哥(は)哥(は)鳥(ちょう) (hahachō)
墨(メキ)西(シ)哥(コ) (Mekishiko)

Korean

Hanja

哥 (eumhun 성씨 가 (seongssi ga))

This term needs a translation to English. Please help out and add a translation, then remove the text {{rfdef}}.

Vietnamese

Han character

哥: Hán Nôm readings: ca, kha

This term needs a translation to English. Please help out and add a translation, then remove the text {{rfdef}}.