bro

See also: Appendix:Variations of "bro"

Translingual

Etymology

Clipping of English Brokkat.

Symbol

bro

(international standards) ISO 639-3 language code for Brokkat.

English

Alternative forms

bra, brah, breh, bruh

Etymology

PIE word
*bʰréh₂tēr

Clipping of brother. Compare Danish bror, Norwegian Bokmål bror, Swedish bror.

Pronunciation

(General American) IPA^(key): /bɹoʊ/
(Received Pronunciation) IPA^(key): /bɹəʊ/
(General Australian) IPA^(key): [bɹɞʊ̟]
- Audio (General Australian): (file)
(Canada) IPA^(key): [bɹoː]
Rhymes: -əʊ
Hyphenation: bro
Homophone: Breaux

Noun

bro (plural bros)

(slang) Brother (a male sibling).
My mom took my lil' bro to soccer practice now and she wanted me to pick him up.
(slang) Brother (a comrade or friend; one who shares one’s ideals).
Bro, you good? You've been lookin' kinda out of it lately.
- 2022 April 5, “A$AP Rocky: Will Smith 'emasculated' Chris Rock but 'it's more than just a GI Jane joke'”, in Cele|bitchy‎^[1]:
  Let’s not kid ourselves – there are plenty of men saying that Will has been emasculated by Jada, because hurr durr why would he hit a bro over a woman.
(slang) Brother, my man, good sir; a friendly term of address for typically men.
Near-synonym: man

don't tase me, bro

Hey bro, sorry to bother you but I think I accidentally backed up into your car — can I make it up to you?

Bro said he finna go off today!
(slang) A frat boy or someone who espouses the fraternity bro culture.
(slang, derogatory, usually in compounds) Someone, usually male, who aggressively evangelizes a person, concept or technology.
- 2021 May 25, Edward-Isaac Dovere, Battle for the Soul: Inside the Democrats' Campaigns to Defeat Trump, Penguin, →ISBN, page 152:
  Pfeiffer's partners at Pod Save America — the audio outpost of the resistance that had made a collection of Obama Bros niche superstars, had invested as producers in a documentary about the Senate run.
- 2022 September 14, Brian Culp, Electric Cars For Dummies, John Wiley & Sons, →ISBN, page 11:
  One of these cars has 707 horsepower, performs amazingly well on a drag strip, and is popular among performance car bros. The other car is about to easily win a drag race.
- 2024 May 23, ego_bot, There's Something Weird Going On: Ten Stories of Existentialist Science Fiction, ego_bot, →ISBN:
  He'd seen that false equivalency coming from AI bros time and time again, but hearing it from an AI itself was especially irritating.

Derived terms

Descendants

→ Arabic: بْرُو (brō), بْرُوه (brō, brōh) (slang)
→ Italian: bro (slang)
→ Russian: бро (bro) (slang)
→ Spanish: bro (slang)
→ Ukrainian: бро (bro) (slang)
→ Vietnamese: bro (slang)

Translations

male sibling — see brother

diminutive of brother

Esperanto: fraĉjo (eo)
Finnish: veikko (fi), veikka (fi), veikkonen (fi)
Japanese: 兄ちゃん (nīchan), 兄貴 (ja) (aniki)

male comrade or friend; one who shares one’s ideals

Bulgarian: братко (bratko) (vocative), брате (bg) (brate) (vocative)
Catalan: tio m, soci m, amic m, col·lega m, company m
Esperanto: samideano (eo) (usually, but not always, refers to Esperantists), kamarado
Finnish: toveri (fi), aatetoveri (fi), veli (fi)
French: frérot (fr) m
Greek: αφός (afós)
Hungarian: tesó (hu)
Indonesian: bung (id)
Persian: داداش (fa) (dâdâš), حاجی (fa) (hâji)
Polish: brach (pl) m, braciak m
Russian: брата́н (ru) m (bratán), брато́к (ru) m (bratók), бра́тец (ru) m (brátec), брати́шка (ru) m (bratíška)
Spanish: compadre (es) m, broder (es) m, colega (es) m, tío (es) m, wey (es) m, pibe (es) m, mano (es) m
Tamil: மச்சான் (ta) (maccāṉ)
Turkish: kanka (tr)
Yiddish: חבֿר (yi) m (khaver), גוטער־⁠ברודער m (guter-⁠bruder)

used to address a male

Arabic: أَخِي m (ʔaḵī)
Azerbaijani: qaqa, qaqaş
Bulgarian: брат (bg) (brat), братле (bg) (bratle)
Catalan: paio m, tio m, soci m
Chinese:
Mandarin: 兄弟 (zh) (xiōngdi) 老兄 (zh) (lǎoxiōng)
Esperanto: amiko (eo), ulo (eo)
Finnish: äijä (fi), kaveri (fi), jätkä (fi), jäbä (fi)
French: frérot (fr) m
Greek: αδερφάκι n (aderfáki), καρντάσι (el) n (karntási), μπρο m (bro)
Hebrew: אָחִי (he) m (akhí)
Indonesian: bung (id)
Italian: fratello (it) m
Japanese: 兄弟 (ja) (kyōdai), ブラザー (ja) (burazā)
Pashto: مړه
Portuguese: mano (pt) m
Russian: брата́н (ru) m (bratán), брато́к (ru) m (bratók), бра́тец (ru) m (brátec), брати́шка (ru) m (bratíška)
Spanish: hermano (es), tío (es) m
Turkish: kanka (tr)
Yiddish: חבֿר (yi) m (khaver), גוטער־ברודער m (guter-bruder)

Anagrams

BOR, Bor, Bor., ORB, ROB, Rob, bor, orb, rob

Breton

Etymology

From Proto-Brythonic *broɣ, from Proto-Celtic *mrogis.

Pronunciation

IPA^(key): /bʀoː/

Noun

bro f (plural broioù)

country (nation state); homeland
A bep liv marc'h mat; a bep bro tud vat. ― Good horses whatever their colour; good people whatever their country. (Breton proverb)
- 1897, “Bro Gozh ma Zadoù [Old Land of My Fathers]”, François Jaffrennou (lyrics), James James (music), Anthem of Brittany:
  O! Breizh, ma bro, me 'gar ma bro.
  Tra ma vo mor 'vel mur 'n he zro,
  Ra vezo digabestr ma bro!
  Brittany, my country, I love my country,
  So long as the sea, like a wall surrounding thee,
  My country shall be free!
- 1975 July 5, Añjela Duval, “Fri Korloko”, in Al Liamm‎^[2], Le Vieux-Marché:
  Ret eo, emezi, ma vo anavezet hor bro evel ur gwir vro gant ar gwir da zerc’hel he renk e-touez ar broioù all.
  It is necessary, she said, that our country be recognized as a true country with the right to maintain its rank among other countries.
- 2010, “Karantez-vro [Love for a Country]”, in Añjela Duval (lyrics), Bretonne‎^[3], performed by Veronique Autret:
  Ret' voe didab 'tre div garantez :
  Karantrez-vro, karantez den.
  D'am bro am eus gouestlet va buhez
  Ha lezet da vont 'n hini 'garen.
  Forced to choose between two affections:
  Love for a country, love for a man.
  I've given my life to my nation
  And let go of the one I loved.

Inflection

Mutation of *bro*
	unmutated	soft	aspirate	hard
singular	bro	vro	unchanged	pro
plural	broioù	vroioù	unchanged	proioù

Note: Certain mutated forms of some words can never occur in standard Breton.
All possible mutated forms are displayed for convenience.

Catalan

Etymology

Borrowed from English bro.

Pronunciation

IPA^(key): (Central, Balearic, Valencia) [ˈbɾo]

Noun

bro m (plural bros)

(slang) bro (a male comrade or friend)
(slang) bro (used to address a male)

Cornish

Etymology

From Proto-Brythonic *broɣ, from Proto-Celtic *mrogis. Cognate with Breton bro

Noun

bro f (plural broyow)

country, land

Mutation

Mutation of *bro*
unmutated	soft	aspirate	hard	mixed	mixed after 'th
bro	vro	unchanged	pro	fro	vro

Note: Certain mutated forms of some words can never occur in standard Cornish.
All possible mutated forms are displayed for convenience.

Danish

Etymology

From Old Danish bro, from Old East Norse brō, from Proto-Germanic *brūwō (“bridge; brow”), from Proto-Indo-European *bʰruh- (“beam, bridge”).

Pronunciation

IPA^(key): /broː/, [b̥ʁoːˀ]

Noun

bro c (singular definite broen, plural indefinite broer)

bridge

Inflection

Declension of *bro*
common gender	singular		plural
common gender	indefinite	definite	indefinite	definite
nominative	bro	broen	broer	broerne
genitive	bros	broens	broers	broernes

Descendants

Norwegian Bokmål: bro

References

“bro” in Den Danske Ordbog
“bro” in Ordbog over det danske Sprog

Gallo

Etymology

(This etymology is missing or incomplete. Please add to it, or discuss it at the Etymology scriptorium.)

Noun

bro m (plural bros)

thorn

Italian

Etymology

Borrowed from English bro. First attested in 2019.

Noun

bro m (invariable)

(slang) bro (a male comrade or friend)
Synonym: fra

Kalasha

Etymology

From Sanskrit बृहत् (bṛhat, “lofty, high, tall”), from Proto-Indo-European *bʰérǵʰonts. Cognate with Persian (boland), English borough.

Noun

bro

mountain top, peak
succession of peaks which make up a ridge

Norman

Etymology

(This etymology is missing or incomplete. Please add to it, or discuss it at the Etymology scriptorium.)

Noun

bro m (plural bros)

(Jersey) pitcher

Norwegian Bokmål

Norwegian Bokmål Wikipedia has an article on:

bro

Wikipedia ^nb

Norwegian Bokmål Wikipedia has an article on:

bro (skip)

Wikipedia ^nb

Alternative forms

bru

Etymology

From Danish bro, from Old Danish bro, from Old East Norse brō, from Proto-Germanic *brōwō (“bridge; brow”), possibly from Proto-Indo-European *bʰruH- (“beam; bridge”), which may be the same root as *h₃bʰrúHs (“(eye)brow”), whence brun. Close cognate with Swedish bro. Compare also Norwegian bru (“bridge”) and Icelandic brú (“bridge”), from Proto-Germanic *brū-.

Noun

bro f or m (definite singular broa or broen, indefinite plural broer, definite plural broene)

bridge

Derived terms

References

“bro” in The Bokmål Dictionary.

Portuguese

Etymology

Unadapted borrowing from English bro.

Pronunciation

(Brazil) IPA^(key): /ˈbɾo(w)/ [ˈbɾo(ʊ̯)]

(Portugal) IPA^(key): /ˈbɾo(w)/
- (Northern Portugal) IPA^(key): /ˈbɾow/
- (Southern Portugal) IPA^(key): /ˈbɾo/

Rhymes: -ow

Noun

bro m (plural bros)

(colloquial) bro (a male comrade or friend)
(colloquial) bro (used to address a male)

Spanish

Etymology

Borrowed from English bro.

Pronunciation

IPA^(key): /ˈbɾo/ [ˈbɾo]
Rhymes: -o
Syllabification: bro

Noun

bro m (plural bros)

(slang) bro (a male comrade or friend)
(slang) bro (used to address a male)
- 2025 November 4, Fabián Evaristo, “Avanza orden en puntos 420 de la CDMX; aún se vende cannabis”, in El Universal‎^[4]:
  “ […] Si hubiera más gente o estuviera más lleno, ahí sí diríamos ‘sabes qué bro, pues ya te tienes que retirar’, sabes”.
  " […] If there were more people or it were more full, then we would say "you know what, bro, you have to go away now,' y'know."

Sranan Tongo

Etymology

From English blow.

Pronunciation

IPA^(key): /bro/

Verb

bro

To blow, to produce air currents.
To breathe.
- 1936, Melville J. Herskovits, Frances S. Herskovits, Suriname folk-lore‎^[5], New York: Columbia University Press, page 424:
  Bɔfru dɛ krei̯, Dia dɛ krei̯, Tamanwa 'ɛ krei̯. Nō mō ala den meti 'ɛ gowe wą' wą'. Nō mō Hagu drapɛ, 'ɛ bari, ‘Bia, bia, bia, / Mi yɛre suma dɛdɛ, / Ma karaki dɛ bro.’
  [Bofru e krei, Dia e krei, Tamanwa e krei. Nomo ala den meti e gwe wanwan. Nomo Agu drape e bari, 'Bia, bia, bia / Mi yere suma dede / Ma karaki e bro.']
  Buffalo was crying, Deer was crying, Anteater was crying. No sooner did all the animals go away one by one, than Hog called out, ‘Bia, bia, bia, / I hear a person died, / But his backside breathes.’

Noun

bro

breath

Swedish

Swedish Wikipedia has an article on:

bro

Wikipedia ^sv

Etymology

From Old East Norse brō, from Proto-Germanic *brōwō (“bridge; brow”), possibly from Proto-Indo-European *bʰruH- (“beam; bridge”), which may be the same root as *h₃bʰrúHs (“(eye)brow”), whence bryn. Compare Norwegian Bokmål bro, Icelandic brú (“bridge”).

Pronunciation

IPA^(key): /bruː/
Audio: (file)
Rhymes: -uː

Noun

bro c

a bridge (construction that spans a divide)
Staden mellan broarna
The town between the bridges [Stockholm old town]

Släpp inte en jävel över bron, håll ut en stund till!
Don't let a single bastard cross the bridge, hold out a little longer!
a road bank (road reinforced with stone or timber, in particular across wetlands)
a quay
Synonyms: brygga, skeppsbro
(northern Sweden) a set of steps leading up to a door (sometimes with a porch or a deck, and sometimes with just a single step, as in just a deck or the like), a stoop
Synonym: förstubro

Jag får min motion när jag går ifrån bron och till vår garageuppfart.
I get my exercise when I walk from the porch to our driveway.

Declension

Declension of **bro**
		nominative	genitive
singular	indefinite	bro	bros
singular	definite	bron	brons
plural	indefinite	broar	broars
plural	definite	broarna	broarnas

Related terms

References

Anagrams

bor

Vietnamese

Etymology

From English bro.

Pronunciation

(Hà Nội) IPA^(key): [ʔɓɹo˧˧], [ʔɓəː˨˩ zo˧˧]
(Huế) IPA^(key): [ʔɓɹow˧˧], [ʔɓəː˦˩ ʐow˧˧]
(Saigon) IPA^(key): [ʔɓɹow˧˧], [ʔɓəː˨˩ ɹow˧˧]
Phonetic spelling: brô, bờ rô

Pronoun

bro

(slang, Vietnam) bro (used to address a person (presumably) around the same age, usually male)
các bro
you bros

bro ấy
he (that bro)
- 2021 September 6, Koi Koi, “Bất ngờ bài 'nhạc Thái' lọt top trending cao nhưng hoá ra của ca sĩ Việt, nghe vui xả stress được khen ngợi hết lời! ["Thai" song unexpectedly shoots into the top trending list but turns out to be by Vietnamese singer; listen to relieve your stress; speechlessly recommend!]”, in Kênh 14‎^[6], Hanoi: VCCorp, retrieved 7 March 2023:
  Mùa dịch này làm mấy bài vui vẻ này hợp lý quá bro ơi.
  This pandemic season makes these joyful songs so appropriate, bro.
- 2022 August 5, Ngọc Nguyễn, “Lương Minh Trang và Vinh Râu thăng hạng visual, xưng hô thân thiết”, in Thể thao & Văn hóa‎^[7], Hanoi: Vietnam News Agency, archived from the original on 8 March 2023:
  Trước đấy, khi được hỏi về mối quan hệ với "vợ cũ" Lương Minh Trang, Vinh Râu không ngần ngại thừa nhận: "Chúng tôi làm tri kỷ và thường xưng hô bằng bro".
  Earlier, when asked about his relationship with his "ex" Lương Minh Trang, Vinh Râu admits, without hesitation: "We are confidants and often address each other as bro".
- 2022 December 21, Quang Vũ, “Tóc Tiên, JustaTee hẹn fan 'cháy' cùng lễ hội Noel siêu hoành tráng tại Hà Nội [Tóc Tiên, JustaTee promises fans they'll be "on fire" at a super large-scale Christmas festival in Hanoi]”, in Thể thao & Văn hóa‎^[8], Hanoi: Vietnam News Agency, retrieved 7 March 2023:
  Giờ thì mau mau chuẩn bị lên đồ và set kèo với hội bạn để "quẩy" tung Hà Nội cùng Tóc Tiên, JustaTee, Huy DX và BNUTs thôi nào các bro ơi!
  Now hurry up and prepare to set a bet with your friends to "hang out" in Hanoi with Tóc Tiên, JustaTee, Huy DX and BNUTs, bro!

Welsh

Etymology

From Middle Welsh bro, from Proto-Brythonic *broɣ, from Proto-Celtic *mrogis. Cognate with Old Irish mruig.

Pronunciation

IPA^(key): /broː/
Rhymes: -oː

Noun

bro f (plural bröydd or brofydd)

region, country, land, neighbourhood, native haunt
border, limit, boundary, march
vale, lowland, champaign

Mutation

Mutated forms of *bro*
radical	soft	nasal	aspirate
bro	fro	mro	unchanged

Note: Certain mutated forms of some words can never occur in standard Welsh.
All possible mutated forms are displayed for convenience.

References

R. J. Thomas, G. A. Bevan, P. J. Donovan, A. Hawke et al., editors (1950–present), “bro”, in Geiriadur Prifysgol Cymru Online (in Welsh), University of Wales Centre for Advanced Welsh & Celtic Studies