chị
[t͡ɕi˧˨ʔ]
The Vietnamese word for "older sister" is chị.
The term chị is used to refer to an older sister. Beyond biological relationships, it is also a polite way to address any woman who is slightly older than yourself.
Meaning: single-word translations (noun)
Which one should you use?
While chị is used for an older sister, the term em is used to refer to a younger sibling of either gender.
How does it change in a sentence?
To specify that you are talking about your own older sister, you can add the possessive phrase của tôi after the noun to form chị của tôi.
When do people say it?
In Vietnamese culture, using correct kinship terms such as chị is essential for demonstrating proper respect within social hierarchies.
Did you know?
- Couples in Vietnam sometimes use chị and em as romantic pronouns, where the woman is the chị and the man is the em.
- The word chị has a distant ancestor in the Old Chinese character 姊. Despite the different sounds in modern languages, they share the same ancient root meaning 'older sister'.
- In many professional settings in Vietnam, even female colleagues will address each other as chị rather than using their actual names to maintain a respectful atmosphere.
Examples in context
- Chị của tôi rất xinh đẹp.My older sister is very beautiful.
- Cô ấy là chị họ của tôi.She is my female cousin (older sister age).
Example conversation
Hùng asks Chi about her sister's location.
- ChiHùng ơi, chị tôi về rồi.Hùng, my older sister is home.
- HùngChị bạn đang ở đâu?Where is your older sister?
- ChiChị đang ở trong bếp.She is in the kitchen.
- HùngTôi muốn chào chị ấy.I want to greet her.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “older sister” translations and entries chị, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries chị, CC BY-SA 4.0.
