Ways to say it
| Mandarin | Romanization (Wiktionary) | IPA | Note |
|---|---|---|---|
| 姐妹 | jiěmèi | /t͡ɕi̯ɛ²¹⁴⁻²¹ meɪ̯⁵¹/ (Mandarin, Standard Chinese, Sinological IPA) /t͡sɛː³⁵ muːi̯²²/ (Cantonese, Guangzhou, Sinological IPA, Standard Cantonese, Hong Kong) |
|
| 姐姐 | jiějie | /t͡ɕi̯ɛ²¹⁴ d͡ʑ̥i̯ɛ⁴/ (Mandarin, Standard Chinese, Mainland China, standard, Taiwan, Sinological IPA) /t͡ɕi̯ɛ²¹⁴⁻²¹ t͡ɕi̯ɛ³⁵/ (Mandarin, Standard Chinese, Taiwan, variant, Sinological IPA) |
|
| 妹妹 | mèimei | /meɪ̯⁵¹ meɪ̯¹/ (Mandarin, Standard Chinese, Mainland China, standard, Taiwan, Sinological IPA) /meɪ̯²¹⁴⁻²¹ meɪ̯³⁵/ (Mandarin, Standard Chinese, Taiwan, variant, Sinological IPA) |
|
| 嬃 / 媭 | xū | ||
| 大姊 | tōa-chí | /tua³³⁻¹¹ t͡si⁵³/ (Min Nan, Hokkien, Xiamen, Quanzhou, Zhangzhou, Sinological IPA, Taipei, General Taiwanese) /tua²²⁻²¹ t͡si⁵³/ (Min Nan, Hokkien, Xiamen, Quanzhou, Zhangzhou, Sinological IPA, General Taiwanese) |
Hokkien |
| 小妹 | sió-mōe | /sio⁵⁵⁴⁻²⁴ be⁴¹/ (Min Nan, Hokkien, Xiamen, Taipei, Dongshi, Philippines, Singapore, Sinological IPA, Hsinchu, Magong) /sio⁵³⁻⁴⁴ be²²/ (Min Nan, Hokkien, Xiamen, Taipei, Dongshi, Philippines, Singapore, Sinological IPA, Hsinchu, Magong) |
Hokkien |
| 姊妹 | chí-mōe | /t͡si⁵³⁻⁴⁴ be²²/ (Min Nan, Hokkien, Xiamen, Taipei, Philippines, Singapore, Sinological IPA, Magong) /t͡si⁵³⁻⁴⁴ be³³/ (Min Nan, Hokkien, Xiamen, Taipei, Philippines, Singapore, Sinological IPA, Magong) |
Hokkien |
| 阿姊 | a-chí | /a⁴⁴⁻²² t͡si⁵³/ (Min Nan, Hokkien, Xiamen, Zhangzhou, Kaohsiung, Lukang, Yilan, Sinological IPA, Hsinchu, Sanxia) /a⁴⁴⁻³³ t͡si⁵³/ (Min Nan, Hokkien, Xiamen, Zhangzhou, Kaohsiung, Lukang, Yilan, Sinological IPA, Hsinchu, Sanxia) |
Hokkien |
In Mandarin, the term used depends on whether you are referring to a specific person's age or speaking about sisters collectively. 姐姐 refers specifically to an older sister, while 妹妹 refers specifically to a younger sister. The term 姐妹 is a collective term for sisters or is used to describe the relationship of being sisters rather than a specific individual. Additionally, these terms are used socially: 姐姐 is often a polite way to address a woman slightly older than oneself even without a biological relation and 妹妹 can be used to address a girl or woman younger than oneself in a friendly or affectionate manner.
Which one should you use?
姐姐 specifically means older sister, whereas 妹妹 specifically means younger sister. While the individual forms focus on age, 姐妹 acts as a collective term for sisters.
Is it said differently in some regions?
In Hokkien, you can use 大姊 for an older sister, 小妹 for a younger sister, 姊妹 for sisters or 阿姊 for an older sister. In Dungan, the words җеҗе and мыймый are used.
How does it change in a sentence?
When using 姐姐 or 妹妹 as a title or address, the possessive particle 的 (de) is often omitted, such as saying 我姐姐 instead of 我的姐姐.
How do you pronounce it?
The romanization is jiěmèi.
Did you know?
- The character for older sister 姊 (zǐ) contains the radical for 'woman' and a component that historically suggested the act of nurturing or bringing up a child.
- The word for younger sister 妹妹 (mèimei) is frequently used by older men to address young women in a patronizing or condescending way, even if they are not related.
- The collective term 姐妹 is used for a group of sisters, but it can also refer to a close-knit group of female friends who consider themselves as close as family.
Examples in context
- 你的妹妹呢？Where did your sister just go?This sentence shows how to ask about the location of a younger sister using 妹妹.Tatoeba #5691647 by xjjAstrus, translation #10612053 by DaoSeng
- 我没有妹妹。I don't have a younger sister.This sentence is useful for stating the absence of a younger sister using 妹妹.Tatoeba #13942570 by jan_OkulaJu, translation #1183190 by Vortarulo
- 我想見你姐姐。I'd like to see your sister.This sentence is useful for expressing the desire to see an older sister using 姐姐.Tatoeba #1525706 by egg0073, translation #70382 by CK
- Jiějiě, nǐ hǎo ma? (姐姐，你好吗?)Hello, sister, how are you?
- Mèimei, wǒ bǎo nǐ! (妹妹，我抱你)Little sister, let me hug you!
- 165 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Haoran and Xiaowen are looking at a family photo.
- 浩然 Haoran照片里这些女孩是你的姐妹吗？Zhàopiàn lǐ zhèxiē nǚhái shì nǐ de jiěmèi ma?Are these girls in the photo your sisters?
- 晓雯 Xiaowen是的，她们是我唯一的姐妹。Shì de, tāmen shì wǒ wéiyī de jiěmèi.Yes, they are my only sisters.
- 浩然 Haoran你们姐妹长得很像。Nǐmen jiěmèi zhǎng de hěn xiàng.You sisters look very much alike.
- 晓雯 Xiaowen谢谢你，浩然。Xièxiè nǐ, Hàorán.Thank you, Haoran.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “sister” translations and entries 姐妹, 姐姐, 妹妹, 大姊, 小妹, 姊妹, 阿姊, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
