仁兄

rénxiōng

noun #23,400

Meanings

1 my dear friend (honorific written address to a male equal)
2 good brother (respectful form of address)

Characters

benevolence; kind; virtuous

elder brother; male peer (honorific)

Examples

仁兄，多年未见，别来无恙？

Rénxiōng, duōnián wèi jiàn, bié lái wúyàng?

My dear friend, we haven't met in years — I hope all has been well with you.

信中他以仁兄相称，可见两人关系亲密。

Xìn zhōng tā yǐ rénxiōng xiāngchēng, kě jiàn liǎng rén guānxi qīnmì.

He addressed him as 'dear friend' in the letter, showing their close relationship.

Tips

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仁兄 is a formal, literary honorific used in written correspondence to address a male peer with respect and warmth. It is not used in everyday spoken Chinese. The equivalent in letters is similar to 'My dear sir' or 'Dear friend' in English — polite and slightly archaic.

Stroke Order

仁 rén

兄 xiōng