子弟
zǐdì · HSK 7
sons and younger brothers
👦👶 子弟 = 子 child + 弟 younger brother → the household's sons and juniors
子 means child/son and 弟 means younger brother; stacked together they cover all the younger males of a family or group — the juniors.
子 — pictograph of a baby/child with arms out
子 began as a pictograph of a swaddled infant with a large head and outstretched arms, originally meaning 'baby' or 'child.' From there it broadened to 'son,' 'offspring,' and a respectful suffix for masters like 孔子 (Confucius). It also became one of the twelve earthly branches.