哥 (gē) is a Chinese character meaning “elder brother”. It is written from 可 (can; may; approve) and 可 (can; may; approve), one above the other, and takes 10 strokes.
Build the character for “elder brother”
Four steps: break it apart, build it, recall it, use it in a word.
StartLearn this character
Structure
可 + 可
Top–bottom structure
Structure from: IDS 现代字形拆分 ⿱可可；与 hanzi-writer-data 2.0.1 笔画核验：共 10 笔，第 1–5 笔属上方 可，第 6–10 笔属下方 可
Memory aid
One 可 ("can") stacked on top of another 可 — big brother stands one level above you and can do everything you can.
This is a memory aid, not the historical origin.
Stroke order
10 strokes
In real words
- 哥哥gē geelder brother哥 = gēHSK 1
- 大哥dà gēeldest brother; big brother (respectful address)哥 = gē
Go deeper
All readings
elder brother
elder brother; a friendly form of address for a man of one's own generation
同父母或同族同辈而年龄比自己大的男子；也用来亲切地称呼年龄相仿的男子。 — studyhanzi 编写
Words with this reading
- 哥哥gē geelder brother哥 = gēHSK 1
- 大哥dà gēeldest brother; big brother (respectful address)哥 = gē
Easy to confuse with
Stroke data: hanzi-writer-data (Arphic Public License) · licenses & attributions
Questions people ask about this character
What does 哥 mean?
哥 (gē) means elder brother; a friendly form of address for a man of one's own generation.
How do you pronounce 哥?
It is pronounced gē.
What parts is 哥 made of?
可 (can; may; approve) and 可 (can; may; approve), one above the other. The recorded source is: IDS 现代字形拆分 ⿱可可；与 hanzi-writer-data 2.0.1 笔画核验：共 10 笔，第 1–5 笔属上方 可，第 6–10 笔属下方 可. Components are the building blocks of the shape; the radical used for dictionary lookup is a separate thing.
How many strokes does 哥 have?
10. You can watch the stroke order on this page, or trace it yourself.
What is the radical of 哥?
口. The radical is how the character is filed in a dictionary — it is not the whole story of how the character is built.
What words use 哥?
Common ones are 哥哥 and 大哥. The reading of 哥 is not the same in every word, so each word on this page shows which reading applies.