Brethren is an old plural of brother. Today you almost never use it for the men in your own family — you say brothers for that.

Brethren is an old plural of brotherBrethren 是 brother 古老的複數形. Today you almost never use it for the men in your own family現在你幾乎不會用它來指自己家裡的男性 — you say brothers for that那種情況你會說 brothers.

You use brethren when you talk to, or about, the members of a group, especially a church or other religious group: a priest saying “dear brethren,” or a writer talking about “our brethren in the faith.” It can feel warm and in-group, but it also feels old, formal, and a bit Biblical.

You use brethren when you talk to, or about, the members of a group你會在對一個團體的成員說話、或談到他們時用 brethren, especially a church or other religious group尤其是教會或其他宗教團體: a priest saying "dear brethren,"像神父說 "dear brethren,", or a writer talking about "our brethren in the faith."或作家寫到 "our brethren in the faith." It can feel warm and in-group它可以讓人感覺溫暖、有自己人的感覺, but it also feels old, formal, and a bit Biblical但同時也顯得古老、正式，還帶點聖經味.

Some speakers still stretch it to other close groups, like fellow workers in the same trade, though that already sounds rather grand. Though actually it can include women in church talk, even though the word looks male.

Some speakers still stretch it to other close groups有些人還會把它延伸用在其他親近的群體, like fellow workers in the same trade像是同行的工作夥伴, though that already sounds rather grand不過那樣講已經顯得相當隆重了. Though actually it can include women in church talk不過在教會的講法裡它其實也可以包含女性, even though the word looks male即使這個字看起來是陽性的.

You would sound strange, or like you were joking, if you used it for two brothers at the dinner table.

if you used it for two brothers at the dinner table如果你在餐桌上用這個字稱呼兩個兄弟, you would sound strange, or like you were joking你聽起來會很奇怪，或像在開玩笑.