đệ

• (Hà Nội) IPA^(key): [ʔɗe˧˨ʔ]
• (Huế) IPA^(key): [ʔɗej˨˩ʔ]
• (Saigon) IPA^(key): [ʔɗej˨˩˨]

Sino-Vietnamese word from 第 (“ordinal marker”).

đệ

1. (only before Sino-Vietnamese numerals) ordinal number marker, used only to mark the generation of a person who shares their name, equivalent to the use of I, II, III, etc. in English. In actual practice, mostly used for royal designations and titles.

   Synonym: thứ

2. (only before Sino-Vietnamese numerals, rare) ordinal number marker in general

   Đệ Tam Quốc tế ― the Third International

   Đệ Nhất Phu nhân ― the First Lady

• Đệ is in regular use for ordinal numbers in lower than tenth in royal designations, thus Charles III is Charles Đệ Tam.
• For eleventh and above, even in royal designations, thứ would be preferred. For example, Louis XIV would probably be read as Louis Thứ Mười bốn, not *Louis Đệ Thập tứ.

Sino-Vietnamese word from 弟 (“younger brother”).

đệ

1. (Chinese fiction) younger brother
2. (slang) henchman; minion

   Tao đéo phải đệ của mày!

   I'm not your fucking lackey!

đệ

1. (Chinese fiction) I; you (refers to the male junior among the speakers)

• huynh; tỉ; muội; đại ca