我爱你，姐姐
wǒ ài nǐ, jiějie
The English phrase "I love you sister" is translated into Chinese as 我爱你，姐姐 (wǒ ài nǐ, jiějie).
This phrase is an expression of affection used when speaking to an older sister. The term 姐姐 can refer to a biological older sister or be used as a friendly, respectful way to address a female acquaintance who is slightly older than you. You can also use endearing terms like 亲爱的姐姐 for "Dear sister" or 宝贝姐姐 for "Darling sister".
What does it mean word for word?
The phrase is composed of 我 (I), 爱 (love), 你 (you) and 姐姐 (older sister).
Which one should you use?
If you are speaking to a younger sister instead of an older one, you would replace 姐姐 (jiějie) with 妹妹 (mèimei).
How does it change in a sentence?
The term 姐姐 is a reduplicated noun, which is a common way to form kinship terms in Chinese.
How do you pronounce it?
wǒ ài nǐ, jiějie
Did you know?
- In some romantic contexts, a woman might call her partner 姐姐 to evoke a protective or nurturing dynamic, moving the word beyond biological kinship.
- Adding the prefix 亲 (qīn) to the start of a message, such as 亲，姐姐…, is a modern internet slang equivalent to 'dear' or 'honey' used frequently in online shopping.
- While 我爱你 is the direct translation of 'I love you', using it with a sibling can feel unusually dramatic or even uncomfortable in a typical Chinese household. For many, the phrase carries a weight that is more suitable for a movie script than a living room.
Examples in context
- 姐姐，我超级爱你！Sis, I love you so much!
Example conversation
Wei is thanking Yuting for a birthday gift.
- 伟 Wei雨婷，谢谢你的礼物！Yǔtíng, xièxie nǐ de lǐwù!Yuting, thank you for the gift!
- 雨婷 Yuting你喜欢这个礼物吗？Nǐ xǐhuan zhège lǐwù ma?Do you like this gift?
- 伟 Wei非常喜欢，我爱你，姐姐。Fēicháng xǐhuan, wǒ ài nǐ, jiějie.I love it very much, I love you, sister.
- 雨婷 Yuting我也爱你，弟弟。Wǒ yě ài nǐ, dìdi.I love you too, little brother.
