Ways to say it
| Mandarin | Romanization (Wiktionary) |
|---|---|
| 姐姐 | jiějie |
| 姊姊 | zǐzǐ |
姐姐 is used to refer to an older sister. You can also use the phrase da jie to explicitly indicate an older sister. In contrast to 姐姐, the term 妹妹 (mèimei) is used for a younger sister.
Which one should you use?
姊姊 is a more formal or literary version of 姐姐, often found in written texts or specific regional dialects.
Is there a formal and an informal way to say it?
姐姐 can be used as a polite way to address a young woman who is slightly older than you, even if she is not your biological sister. 姊姊 is a more formal or literary version, while jie jie is an informal way to refer to an older sister.
Is it said differently in some regions?
In Taiwan, the term 姊 is used to address an older sister.
How does it change in a sentence?
Reducing the reduplicated 姐姐 to the single syllable 姐 is common in informal speech or when using it as a title, such as in 姐夫 (jiěfu, older sister's husband).
How do you pronounce it?
jiějie
Did you know?
- While you might use 姐姐 to be polite to a stranger, calling a much older woman 姐姐 can actually backfire and make her feel quite old.
- The character 姐 consists of the radical for 'woman' and a phonetic component that historically related to 'old' or 'senior'.
- Even if you are not related, calling a female colleague 姐 can be a way to build 'guanxi' or social connection within a workplace.
Examples in context
- 我想見你姐姐。I'd like to meet your older sister.This sentence shows how to express a desire to meet someone's 姐姐.Tatoeba #1525706 by egg0073, translation #997875 by CK
- 我想認識你姐姐。I want to meet your older sister.This sentence is useful for expressing a desire to get to know someone's 姐姐.Tatoeba #1525713 by egg0073, translation #1526456 by pauldhunt
- 她是Tom的姐姐。She's Tom's older sister.This sentence demonstrates how to identify someone as Tom's 姐姐.Tatoeba #1523967 by egg0073, translation #1523978 by CK
- 大家好，我想向我亲爱的姐姐表示感谢。Hello, I would like to express my gratitude to my dear older sister.
- 姐姐，你今天做的晚饭真好吃！Older sister, the dinner you made today is delicious!
- 9 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Wei and Jiayi are talking about Jiayi's family.
- 伟 Wei你有姐姐嗎？Nǐ yǒu jiějie ma?Do you have an older sister?
- 佳怡 Jiayi我有，她很有名。Wǒ yǒu, tā hěn yǒumíng.I do, she is very famous.
- 伟 Wei你的姐姐是歌手嗎？Nǐ de jiějie shì gēshǒu ma?Is your older sister a singer?
- 佳怡 Jiayi不是，她是醫生。Bú shì, tā shì yīshēng.No, she is a doctor.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “older sister” translations, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
