兄弟姐妹
xiōngdì jiěmèi
The English phrase "siblings" is translated into Chinese as 兄弟姐妹 (xiōngdì jiěmèi).
兄弟姐妹 is used to refer to people who share the same parents, regardless of their gender.
What does it mean word for word?
The phrase is a compound of 兄弟 (brothers) and 姐妹 (sisters), which specifically represents older brother, younger brother, older sister and younger sister.
Is it said differently in some regions?
In Cantonese, the term for older sister is Àh-jì.
How does it change in a sentence?
While the base form 兄弟姐妹 is most common for general questions, you can add the suffix 们 to the end of the phrase to refer to siblings as a collective group.
How do you pronounce it?
xiōngdì jiěmèi
Did you know?
- The term 兄弟 (xiōngdì) is frequently used to refer to 'sworn brothers' who are not related by blood. This stems from historical traditions where men would undergo rituals to become 'siblings' to show lifelong loyalty.
- In many Chinese dialects, the concept of 'siblings' is split by the gender of the speaker. Depending on whether you are male or female, the specific kinship terms used to describe your brothers and sisters may change.
- The character 兄 (xiōng) is used not only for a biological brother but also as a polite way to address a slightly older male stranger in some social settings.
Examples in context
- 你有兄弟姐妹吗？Do you have any siblings?This sentence is useful for asking if someone has any siblings using 兄弟姐妹.Tatoeba #3365893 by go_oo, translation #1556507 by brymck
- 最小的兄弟姐妹一般都最漂亮。The youngest siblings are in general the most beautiful ones.This sentence is useful for stating a general observation about the youngest 兄弟姐妹.Tatoeba #9961393 by GlossaMatik, translation #1802597 by Scott
- 您有兄弟姐妹吗？Do you have siblings?This sentence is useful for asking a person if they have 兄弟姐妹.Tatoeba #1959960 by Kiwi, translation #7156536 by Kiwi
- 5 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Two coworkers are chatting about their family during a break.
- 晓雯 Xiaowen浩然，你有兄弟姐妹吗？Hàorán, nǐ yǒu xiōngdì jiěmèi ma?Haoran, do you have any siblings?
- 浩然 Haoran我有一个哥哥。Wǒ yǒu yī gè gēge.I have an older brother.
- 晓雯 Xiaowen那你们兄弟姐妹的关系好吗？Nà nǐmen xiōngdì jiěmèi de guānxì hǎo ma?So, is the relationship between you siblings good?
- 浩然 Haoran我们相处得很愉快。Wǒmen xiāngchǔ de hěn yúkuài.We get along very well.
Sources
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
