妹妹
mèimei/meɪ̯⁵¹ meɪ̯¹/
The English phrase "little sister" is translated into Mandarin as 妹妹 (mèimei).
妹妹 (mèimei) refers to a female sibling who is younger than the speaker. Beyond biological siblings, it can also be used to refer to a girl or woman who is significantly younger than the speaker in a friendly or casual context.
What does it mean word for word?
The term is formed by the character 妹, which means "younger sister", with the character being reduplicated into 妹妹 to form the noun.
Which one should you use?
While 妹妹 refers to a younger sister, 姐姐 (jiějie) is the term used for an older sister.
How does it change in a sentence?
When referring to one's own little sister, it is common to omit the possessive particle 的 (de) and simply say 我妹妹 (wǒ mèimei) instead of 我的妹妹 (wǒ de mèimei).
How do you pronounce it?
mèimei (/meɪ̯⁵¹ meɪ̯¹/)
Did you know?
- While 妹妹 is for a biological younger sister, the term 干妹妹 (gàn mèimei) refers to a 'dry sister', a girl who has been formally adopted into a family's social circle without a blood relation.
- In highly formal or archaic settings, the term 舍妹 (shěmèi) is used when introducing one's own younger sister to others to show humility.
- While 'mèimei' is used for younger sisters, calling a woman who is actually older than you 妹妹 can be seen as a flirtatious or overly familiar way to act 'big brother' type.
Examples in context
- 进商店的人是我妹妹。The person entering the store is my little sister.This sentence is useful for identifying a person as your 妹妹.Tatoeba #1441759 by GlossaMatik, translation #9981691 by francaisr0wlet
- 请看一下我妹妹在做什么。Can you have a look at what my little sister is doing?This sentence is useful for describing the actions of your 妹妹.Tatoeba #10460397 by GlossaMatik, translation #14022692 by frpzzd
- 她的玩具是被她妹妹弄壞的。Her toy was broken by her little sister.This sentence is useful for explaining that something was broken by your 妹妹.Tatoeba #777616 by egg0073, translation #777617 by CM
- Jingjing, 你去哪儿啊, 妹子?Jingjing, where are you going, little sister?
- 小妹妹, 你要不要我帮你?Little sister, do you want me to help you?
- 妹妹, 我爱你!Little sister, I love you!
- 小妹, 你是我的宝贝!Little sister, you are my precious!
- 9 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Two friends are talking about their families at a coffee shop.
- 佳怡 Jiayi你有妹妹吗？Nǐ yǒu mèimei ma?Do you have a little sister?
- 伟 Wei我有，她还在上学。Wǒ yǒu, tā hái zài shàngxué.I do, she is still in school.
- 佳怡 Jiayi你妹妹今年几岁了？Nǐ mèimei jīnnián jǐ suì le?How old is your little sister this year?
- 伟 Wei她今年十岁。Tā jīnnián shí suì.She is ten years old this year.
Sources
- Pronunciation: Wiktionary entry 妹妹, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
