A slightly less nice, more ranting post from me because god I am so tired.
How many times does Hoyo have to say it before people understand something literally this simple?
KAEYA AND DILUC ARE FRIENDS.
They do not hate each other.
They do not have a familial relationship.
Oh this?
That literally says friends and can't mean familial grammatically, but let's assume grammar doesn't exist for a minute and we can reinvent the Chinese language.
Want examples of the SAME WORD being used?
Fine. Let's go.
BEIDOU SAYS 兄弟 ELEVEN TIMES
I am not going to copy paste them all.
Every time she talks about her crew or friends, it's 兄弟.
Comrades. Friends. Crewmates. Her "Men". All 兄弟.
Here's one:
我是老大，你是我兄弟，没问题吧？哈？
这些叫法太**？行。那就按你喜欢的方式叫吧。
I'm the captain, so you can be my first mate! Deal? Ha?
Such names are too outdated for you huh? We'll call each other whatever you wish then.
DEHYA SAYS IT FOUR TIMES
又有几笔委托的钱款没结清，还有几个兄弟执行委托的时候闯了祸…唉，我明明不是团里的一把手，为什么还要操心这种事？
Some clients are behind on their payments again, and a few of the guys got themselves into trouble during their last job... *sigh* I'm not the boss, but somehow everything ends up being my problem...
迪希雅凭实力逐渐在「镀金旅团」中打出名声之后，团里的大伙都觉得很有面子，某日恰好所有人都在场，喜欢起哄的几个兄弟便嚷着要给迪希雅起一个响当当的外号。
As Dehya's reputation gradually grew amongst the Eremites, those of her band grew proud of the fame she was earning and, during a day when everyone happened to be present, the rowdiest of her companions stated their desire to grant her a nickname worth remembering.
那氛围像极了小时候听父亲讲故事，当年的父亲总喜欢拉上团员闹哄哄演些英雄救美、兄弟斗殴的戏码逗大家开心。
The atmosphere reminded her of moments from her childhood when her father gathered his compatriots to put on plays for her, detailing chivalrous heroes defending the helpless or messy brawls between siblings to amuse everyone.
为了将自己区别于不注重外表的兄弟们，为了给雇主留个好印象，为了让自己时刻美丽，她固执地坚守着许多个人习惯。
As such, she sticks to a number of ironclad personal habits that separate her from the many slobs who plague their trade, leave her employers with a good impression, and keep her looking good at all times.
The word was completely cut from this translation! Slobs was added instead.
GOROU SAYS IT
一起训练，一起吃饭，一起休息…方便随时交流，还能增进我们之间的默契。到了关键时刻，一个眼神就能传递重要的信息…欸？这样不合适吗？唔…我和其他兄弟都是这样熟悉起来的啊。
We train together, eat together, and relax together. There's no better way to strengthen communication and build tacit understanding between everyone on the team. In the heat of battle, just a simple glance can transmit crucial information. Hmm? You don't think it's very appropriate? Huh... Well, I mean, that's how the troops and I have been bonding as a team.
KAZUHA IS CALLED IT BY BEIDOU
船长北斗与这位年轻人是朋友，他来时，北斗告诉手下们：「这位兄弟要在船上停留一段时日，大家多关照关照他。」
Beidou had made friends with this young man, and when he came on board, she told her crew, "This guy's gonna be staying with us for a while. Take care of him, now."
Highlighting both because it calls Kazuha a friend and then she directly calls him 兄弟... because he's a friend.
「喂稻妻来的，你都没个名字，叫兄弟们怎么称呼你啊…」
"Hey, Inazuma boy. What are the lads supposed to call you if they don't even know your name?"
ITTO CALLS YOU 弟兄 which is backwards because it's basically LITTLE BROS
听弟兄们说，他是第一百颗神之眼狩眼仪式的主角？
Some of the boys have been telling me that he was the star of the show at the Vision Hunt Ceremony.
荒泷派的弟兄们一般都会顺着我意，唯独这个忍啊，老是跟我唱反调！
Nobody questions my leadership in the gang, what I say goes — except when it comes to Shinobu
为了消除人类对鬼族的偏见，有次我让弟兄们把我温柔和蔼的形象用留影机拍成画片，贴在稻妻城的留言板上。
In a... "attempt"... to end human prejudice toward the oni, I had the gang use a Kamera to take a picture of me showing my softer side and stick it to the Message Board in Inazuma City.
今天是个重要的日子，我特意把弟兄们支开了，不然他们肯定要说我偏心。
Today's an important day. I had to send the gang away, otherwise they'd be accusing me of favoritism.
辜负弟兄们的期待了…
My boys... I've let you down...
Bonus of when he says it the other way around:
我头上的角，看久了会单调吗？要不用涂料把它弄成彩虹色吧，再抓点萤火虫绑在上面，走在街上炫彩夺目，想想就觉得很帅！本大爷果然是天才，我这就让兄弟们行动起来！
Question for ya! Do my horns look boring once you get used to them? 'Cause, uh, I was thinking of switching up the style, going for a total overhaul, you know? I'm thinking paint them in rainbow stripes and then strap a few Fireflies on for good measure! Eh, eh? I bet that would turn some heads on the streets... like "Dude, you're rockin' those sweet rainbow horns, man!" ...Ah, man, this is totally genius! I'm gonna round up the gang and get them working on it ASAP.
MIKA SAYS IT AND FAMILIAL BROTHER
IN THE SAME STORY BLOCK NO LESS! BUT THEY ARE NOT THE SAME THING!
米卡来自一个和睦美满的家庭：母亲是蒙德的风土作家，父亲是退役的西风骑士，哥哥霍夫曼正为骑士团效力。
小米卡刚识字的那段时间，父亲正陪着母亲在外地旅行，取材筹备新书。在此期间，照顾小米卡的责任就落到了哥哥霍夫曼肩上。
然而，哥哥和骑士团的兄弟们打成一片，白天认真工作，晚上喝酒放纵，他自己的生活完全没有规律，更别说管好弟弟了。
反倒是小米卡早早养成了好习惯，白天照顾自己，晚上照顾哥哥。大部分孩子无忧无虑地玩耍时，小米卡已经可以将个人生活打理得井井有条，还经常为霍夫曼打理衣食住行。
Mika comes from a loving family. His mother works as an author writing about local conditions, his father is a retired Knight of Favonius, and his older brother Huffman is a current member in the Knights' ranks.
When Mika began learning to read, his mother went inspiration-gathering abroad with his father accompanying her. During that time, the responsibility of looking after little Mika landed in Huffman's hands.
However, Huffman had already made the Knights of Favonius his second home — he was preoccupied with work during the day and indulged in drinking with his friends night after night. With his own life lacking organization, how was he expected to take care of his little brother?
So it was little Mika who learned to take care of both himself and his brother whenever he'd return home drunk at night. When other children his age were enjoying their childhood without a care, Mika had already learned to stick to an organized schedule, sometimes even helping Huffman with his everyday chores.
Oop. Unless all of the Knights of Fav are related, this is just the group of them.
Yet familial BROTHERS use different Hanzi.
兄弟 MEANS LOTS OF THINGS.
IT IS USED ALL THE TIME.
It has meant:
Crew, Mates, First Mates, The Guys,
Companions, Compatriots, Troops,
Men, Guy, The Gang, The Boys
The Knights of Fav.
They all have something in common!
NONE OF THEM ARE FAMILIAL IN GENSHIN
Kaeya and Diluc are CANONICALLY FRIENDS for the love of Bediou's eyepatch-
THAT'S WHAT BROTHERS MEANS HERE.
IF THEY WANTED TO CALL THEM FAMILY THEY WOULD HAVE.
Diluc would be Kaeya's 哥哥.
Kaeya would be Diluc's 弟弟.
They are not. They're not even 养兄弟.
In the hangout he would have said:
我是迪卢克老爷的养弟
I am Master Diluc's Adopted Younger Brother.
BUT HE DOESN'T.
BECAUSE THEY'RE FRIENDS.
兄弟 is arguably a "brotherhood".
This is NOT a foreign concept.
We have an entire Assassins Creed Game about this!
ASSASSINS CREED:BROTHERHOOD
SWORN BROTHERS ARE JUST BROTHERHOODS
(WITH EXTRA STEPS AND DEEPER FRIENDSHIP)
IT'S LITERALLY IN GAME OF THRONES
AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA
This is censorship 101.
Take a gay couple.
Make the couple "family."
Pretend that's all they ever were.
No gay here folks! Just some bros!
They did it with Harry Potter.
They did it here.
I'm going to make some coffee.
How many sugars do you guys like?
