брат

Belarusian

Etymology

From Old Belarusian братъ (brat), from Old East Slavic братъ (bratŭ), from Proto-Slavic *bratrъ, *bratъ, from Proto-Indo-European *bʰréh₂tēr.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): [brat]

Noun

брат • (brat) m pers (genitive бра́та, nominative plural браты́, genitive plural брато́ў, feminine сястра́, related adjective бра́цкі or братэ́рскі, diminutive бра́цік)

1. brother

Declension

Declension of брат (pr hard masc-form accent-c)

	singular	plural
nominative	брат brat	браты́ bratý
genitive	бра́та bráta	брато́ў bratóŭ
dative	бра́ту brátu	брата́м bratám
accusative	бра́та bráta	брато́ў bratóŭ
instrumental	бра́там brátam	брата́мі bratámi
locative	бра́це brácje	брата́х bratáx
count form	—	бра́ты1 bráty1

¹Used with the numbers 2, 3, 4 and higher numbers after 20 ending in 2, 3, and 4.

Derived terms

• бра́цкі (brácki), братэ́рскі (bratérski)
• бра́цтва (bráctva), братэ́рства (bratérstva)
• стрые́чны брат (stryjéčny brat)

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Bulgarian

Etymology

From Proto-Slavic *bratrъ, *bratъ, from Proto-Indo-European *bʰréh₂tēr.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): [bɾat]

Noun

брат • (brat) m (related adjective бра́тов or бра́тски, diminutive бра́тец or братле́ or брато́к or бра́тче)

1. brother

Declension

Declension of брат

	singular	plural
indefinite	брат brat	бра́тя, бра́те1, бра́кя1, бра́йкя1, бра́тия2 brátja, bráte1, brákja1, brájkja1, brátija2
definite (subject form)	бра́тът brátǎt	бра́тята, бра́тете1, бра́кята1, бра́йкята1, бра́тията2 brátjata, brátete1, brákjata1, brájkjata1, brátijata2
definite (object form)	бра́та bráta
vocative form	бра́те, бра́тко bráte, brátko	бра́тя, бра́те1, бра́кя1, бра́йкя1, бра́тия2 brátja, bráte1, brákja1, brájkja1, brátija2

¹Dialectal.
²Archaic.

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Macedonian

Etymology

From Proto-Slavic *bratrъ, *bratъ, from Proto-Indo-European *bʰréh₂tēr.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): [brat]

• Audio

  (file)

Noun

брат • (brat) m (plural браќа, feminine сестра, related adjective братски, diminutive братче or бато or бате)

1. brother

   Брат ми се пресели во Лондон. ― Brat mi se preseli vo London. ― My brother has moved to London.

2. bro, mate, pal, buddy (used in informal speech to address somebody)

   Кај си бе, брат? ― Kaj si be, brat? ― What's up, bro?

3. (colloquial) Used to designate someone resembling the person in question, especially in character (hyperbolically suggesting that he could therefore be that person's brother).

Usage notes

• When this word is used in the sense of "brother", the vocative form is mostly "брату". When it's used in the sense of "mate", "pal", or "buddy", the vocative form is mostly "брате". However, in the second sense, the vocative form is not necessarily used. Among youngsters, the basic form "брат" is dominant (and quite popular, at that).

Declension

Declension of брат

	singular	plural
indefinite	брат	браќа
definite unspecified	братот	браќата
definite proximal	братов	браќава
definite distal	братон	браќана
vocative	брату, брате	браќа
count form	—	брата

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Russian

Alternative forms

• братъ (brat) – Pre-reform orthography (1918)

Etymology

Inherited from Old East Slavic братъ (bratŭ), from Proto-Slavic *bratrъ, *bratъ, from Proto-Indo-European *bʰréh₂tēr.

Cognates include Sanskrit भ्रातृ (bhrātṛ), Latin frater, English brother and English pal.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): [brat]

• Audio

  (file)

• Rhymes: -at

Noun

брат • (brat) m anim (genitive бра́та, nominative plural бра́тья^*, genitive plural бра́тьев^*, related adjective бра́тский, diminutive бра́тик or бра́тец or брато́к or брати́шка) (* The soft ending of the plural was originally used for feminine collective nouns, and the meaning of братья then was brotherhood.)

1. brother
2. old boy, pal

Declension

Declension of брат (anim masc-form hard-stem accent-a irreg) 

	singular	plural
nominative	бра́т brát	бра́тья△* brátʹja△*
genitive	бра́та bráta	бра́тьев△* brátʹjev△*
dative	бра́ту brátu	бра́тьям△* brátʹjam△*
accusative	бра́та bráta	бра́тьев△* brátʹjev△*
instrumental	бра́том brátom	бра́тьями△* brátʹjami△*
prepositional	бра́те bráte	бра́тьях△* brátʹjax△*
vocative	бра́те bráte

^△ Irregular.
^* The soft ending of the plural was originally used for feminine collective nouns, and the meaning of братья then was brotherhood.

Derived terms

• бра́тов (brátov)
• братва́ (bratvá), брата́н (bratán)
• бра́тский (brátskij)
• собра́т (sobrát)

Descendants

• → Yakut: быраат (bıraat)

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Rusyn

Etymology

From Proto-Slavic *bratrъ, *bratъ, from Proto-Indo-European *bʰréh₂tēr.

Noun

брат • (brat) m

1. brother

Declension

declension of брат

	singular	plural
nominative (номінатів)	брат	бра́ты
genitive (ґенітів)	бра́та	бра́тӱв
dative (датів)	бра́тови, бра́ту	бра́тям, бра́тӱм
accusative (акузатів)	бра́та	бра́тӱв
instrumental (інштрументал)	бра́том	бра́тами
locative (локал)	бра́ту	бра́тях
vocative (вокатів)	бра́те	бра́ты

Further reading

• Kercha, Ihor (2012), “брат”, in Словник русько-русинськый: у 2 т. [Russian-Rusyn Dictionary: in 2 vols] (in Russian, Rusyn), Uzhhorod: PoliPrint

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Serbo-Croatian

Etymology

From Proto-Slavic *bratrъ, *bratъ, from Proto-Indo-European *bʰréh₂tēr.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /brât/

Noun

бра̏т m (Latin spelling brȁt)

1. brother
2. mate, pal, buddy, when used in informal speech to address somebody in vocative (brate)

Usage notes

There is no plural form for this noun. Instead, the collective term бра̏ћа is used for plural meanings.

Declension

Declension of брат

	singular
nominative	брат
genitive	брата
dative	брату
accusative	брата
vocative	брате
locative	брату
instrumental	братом

Derived terms

• бра̏тјенац
• брата̀кати се
• брата́нац
• бра̏тац
• бра̀тија
• бра̏тић
• бра̏тимити се
• бра̏тӣмство
• бра̏тӣнство
• бра̏тити се
• бра̏тољӯбље
• бра̏то̄в
• бра̏товљев
• бра̏товљӣ
• бра̏товскӣ
• брато́вштина
• братоу̀билачкӣ
• братоу̀бојица
• братоу̀бо̄јство
• бра̀тскӣ
• бра̀тство
• бра̀тучед

 

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Ukrainian

Etymology

From Proto-Slavic *bratrъ, *bratъ, from Proto-Indo-European *bʰréh₂tēr.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): [brat]

• Audio

  (file)

Noun

брат • (brat) m pers (genitive брата́, nominative plural брати́, genitive plural браті́в, related adjective бра́тній or бра́тський or брате́рський, diminutive бра́тик or бра́тець or брату́нь)

1. brother (biological sibling)
2. brother (member of the Christian brotherhood)
3. pal, mate

Declension

Declension of брат (pers hard masc-form accent-b)

	singular	plural
nominative	брат brat	брати́ bratý
genitive	брата́ bratá	браті́в bratív
dative	брато́ві, брату́ bratóvi, bratú	брата́м bratám
accusative	брата́ bratá	браті́в bratív
instrumental	брато́м bratóm	брата́ми bratámy
locative	брато́ві, браті́ bratóvi, bratí	брата́х bratáx
vocative	бра́те bráte	брати́ bratý

Further reading

• Bilodid, I. K., editor (1970–1980), “брат”, in Словник української мови: в 11 т. [Dictionary of the Ukrainian Language: in 11 vols] (in Ukrainian), Kyiv: Naukova Dumka
• Shyrokov, V. A., editor (2010–2021), “брат”, in Словник української мови: у 20 т. [Dictionary of the Ukrainian Language: in 20 vols] (in Ukrainian), Kyiv: Ukrainian Lingua-Information Fund, →ISBN
• Melnychuk, O. S., editor (1982), “брат”, in Етимологічний словник української мови [Etymological Dictionary of the Ukrainian Language] (in Ukrainian), volume 1: А – Г, Kyiv: Naukova Dumka, page 246
• “брат”, in Горох – Словозміна [Horokh – Inflection] (in Ukrainian)