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How to Say ‘My brother is older.’ in German

Mein Bruder ist älter.

mine BROO-der ist EL-ter

[mine BROO-der ist EL-ter]

💬 Usage Tip: Some "-er" comparisons add dots to the vowel: alt becomes älter and jung becomes jünger.

Phrase Breakdown

Mein Bruder

mine BROO-der

My brother

The subject. 'Mein' rhymes with 'mine'.

Example

Mein Bruder wohnt in Köln.

My brother lives in Cologne.

Words in this phrase

Mein

[mine]

possessive word meaning something belongs to me

Example

Mein Reisepass liegt in der Tasche.

My passport is in the bag.

Bruder

[BROO-der]

brother

Noun meaning brother.

Example

Mein Bruder wohnt in Köln.

My brother lives in Cologne.

ist älter.

ist EL-ter

is older.

Comparative adjective. Say 'ist EL-ter'.

Example

Sie ist älter als ich.

She is older than me.

Words in this phrase

ist

[ist]

Third-person singular form of 'sein'.

Example

Das ist ganz normal vor dem Eingriff.

That is completely normal before the procedure.

älter

[EL-ter]

older

Comparative of 'alt' (old); describes someone with more years.

Example

Sie ist zwei Jahre älter.

She is two years older.

Guides for German learners

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