Definition
哥儿 is an old-fashioned or dialect term, often with a Beijing flavor. It can mean 'brothers' (especially in wealthy families, like 哥儿俩 'the two brothers') or refer to a young boy or lad (e.g., 小哥儿 'little boy'). The 儿 suffix is a retroflex suffix (儿化音) that gives the word a colloquial, familiar tone. In modern Mandarin, it's less common than 哥们儿 for 'buddies' and carries a slightly literary or historical feel.
n.
(old-fashioned or dialect) brothers (especially in wealthy families)(old-fashioned) young boylad
Examples
- 哥儿。Tāmen gē er liǎ cóngxiǎo yìqǐ zhǎngdà.The two brothers grew up together from childhood.
- 哥儿，。Nàge xiǎo gē er zhēn cōngming, cái wǔ suì jiù huì bèi shī le.That little boy is really smart — he can recite poems at just five years old.
- 哥儿。Jiù xiǎoshuō li cháng xiě fùjiā gē er chūmén qí mǎ.In old novels, they often write about rich young masters going out on horseback.
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