<p><strong>我一个弟兄们</strong> is grammatically incorrect: <strong>一个</strong> (=1) conflicts with <strong>们</strong> (>1).<br/><br/>I watched the video in question. The interviewee actually said <strong>我一个弟兄</strong>. It is the subtitle that added a <strong>们</strong> at the end.</p>

CC BY-SA 3.0
2016-04-22T21:07:02.697Z
2016-04-22T21:57:00.420Z
2016-04-22T21:57:00.420Z
Cosmos Gu
<p>I think 兄弟 is used most often to mean something like "my buddy / pal", whereas 弟兄 has a military connotation. It's often used in war movies by soldiers referring to each other.</p>

<p>I'd expect 兄弟 to be used more often by people talking about a familial, personal relationship, and 弟兄 to refer to a person you got to know in some formal organization like the military.</p>

<p>The 们 is probably adapted from 哥们, which is colloquial and can refer to a single person.</p>

CC BY-SA 3.0
2016-04-26T06:59:21.013Z
2016-04-26T06:59:21.013Z
KWeiss
<p>《庭审现场》２０１５１２２６ 谁在说谎 <a href="http://news.cntv.cn/2015/12/26/VIDE1451136647389475.shtml" rel="nofollow">http://news.cntv.cn/2015/12/26/VIDE1451136647389475.shtml</a>. Civil case plaintiff 李付成, at time mark 01:42, says： <code>我一个弟兄们（有三间老房子）</code>. Would 我的一个兄弟 (or at least 我的一个弟兄) not be more usual? Any comment on the first version?</p>

CC BY-SA 3.0
2015-12-29T06:47:17.543Z
reason for giving 我的一个兄弟 as first alternative （and not 我的一个弟兄）： as confirmed by various dictionaries 弟兄 is used more likely than 兄弟 in the more abstract sense，i.p. for brethren （cf. Bible）
user6065
CC BY-SA 3.0
2015-12-29T07:00:36.757Z
Strictly speaking it is indeed ungrammatical and it sounds awkward to my ears, but informal speech doesn't require much precision. Some people use 一个 in daily conversation to refer to something/somebody they wouldn't like to specify. In such a case, 一个 doesn't mean exactly *one*.
Stan
CC BY-SA 3.0
2015-12-29T13:48:22.097Z
"弟兄么"  as NP (noun phrase) seems rather uncommon,  么些弟兄 exists and maybe  弟兄么些 (么些 added as an afterthought) is acceptable
user6065
CC BY-SA 3.0
2015-12-31T07:40:42.527Z
some users might be reminded of "我一个哥们儿（姐们儿）＂even though the plaintiff in this case would hardly say "one of my buddies/pals/mates".
user6065
CC BY-SA 3.0
2016-04-23T10:02:35.357Z
@user6065 this usage of 么 as in 我一个弟兄么 is not uncommon in spoken language. I agree with songyuanyao's speculation.
NS.X.
CC BY-SA 3.0
2016-05-31T14:46:55.130Z
cf。现代汉语词典： 娘们（２）（方）称成年妇女（含轻蔑意，可以用于单数）（３）（方）妻子 e.g.in《第十一根手指》 http://www.ty2016.net/horror/fyqm03/
find 现在这个冷傲的娘们终于认识到了我们的重要性， 这个娘们不会对林涛动什么坏心思吧？where 这个娘们 refers to a single individual,
user6065
CC BY-SA 3.0
2016-06-04T11:22:15.113Z
another example of 们 denoting  singular: 大老爷们 1.方言。指成年以上的男子。 老爷们儿 : 〈方〉①指成年男子：谁家的～不干活，光让老娘们儿去干？ ②指丈夫（zhàng·fu）：她～在外地做买卖。 http://xh.5156edu.com/html5/191979.html
user6065
<grammar>
Comparing 我一个弟兄们 with 我的一个兄弟
# Comparing 我一个弟兄们 with 我的一个兄弟

(Asked by: username_0 on 2015-12-29)

《庭审现场》２０１５１２２６ 谁在说谎 <http://news.cntv.cn/2015/12/26/VIDE1451136647389475.shtml>. Civil case plaintiff 李付成, at time mark 01:42, says： `我一个弟兄们（有三间老房子）`. Would 我的一个兄弟 (or at least 我的一个弟兄) not be more usual? Any comment on the first version?

**Tags:** grammar

> **Comments:**
> **username_0**: reason for giving 我的一个兄弟 as first alternative （and not 我的一个弟兄）： as confirmed by various dictionaries 弟兄 is used more likely than 兄弟 in the more abstract sense，i.p. for brethren （cf. Bible）  
> **username_1**: Strictly speaking it is indeed ungrammatical and it sounds awkward to my ears, but informal speech doesn't require much precision. Some people use 一个 in daily conversation to refer to something/somebody they wouldn't like to specify. In such a case, 一个 doesn't mean exactly *one*.  
> **username_0**: "弟兄么"  as NP (noun phrase) seems rather uncommon,  么些弟兄 exists and maybe  弟兄么些 (么些 added as an afterthought) is acceptable  
> **username_0**: some users might be reminded of "我一个哥们儿（姐们儿）＂even though the plaintiff in this case would hardly say "one of my buddies/pals/mates".  
> **username_2**: @username_0 this usage of 么 as in 我一个弟兄么 is not uncommon in spoken language. I agree with songyuanyao's speculation.  
> **username_0**: cf。现代汉语词典： 娘们（２）（方）称成年妇女（含轻蔑意，可以用于单数）（３）（方）妻子 e.g.in《第十一根手指》 http://www.ty2016.net/horror/fyqm03/ find 现在这个冷傲的娘们终于认识到了我们的重要性， 这个娘们不会对林涛动什么坏心思吧？where 这个娘们 refers to a single individual,  
> **username_0**: another example of 们 denoting  singular: 大老爷们 1.方言。指成年以上的男子。 老爷们儿 : 〈方〉①指成年男子：谁家的～不干活，光让老娘们儿去干？ ②指丈夫（zhàng·fu）：她～在外地做买卖。 http://xh.5156edu.com/html5/191979.html  

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## 2 answers

### Answer by username_3 on 2016-04-22. Score: 3

**我一个弟兄们** is grammatically incorrect: **一个** (=1) conflicts with **们** (>1).  
  
I watched the video in question. The interviewee actually said **我一个弟兄**. It is the subtitle that added a **们** at the end.


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### Answer by username_4 on 2016-04-26. Score: 1

I think 兄弟 is used most often to mean something like "my buddy / pal", whereas 弟兄 has a military connotation. It's often used in war movies by soldiers referring to each other.

I'd expect 兄弟 to be used more often by people talking about a familial, personal relationship, and 弟兄 to refer to a person you got to know in some formal organization like the military.

The 们 is probably adapted from 哥们, which is colloquial and can refer to a single person.


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