자매
jamae[t͡ɕa̠mɛ]
The Korean word for sisters is 자매 (jamae).
자매 is used to refer to female siblings or girls who share the same parents.
Which one should you use?
While 자매 refers to a group of sisters, it is not used to address a single sister directly.
How do you pronounce it?
jamae
Did you know?
- If you see two women who look alike but are not related, you might call them 자매 as a compliment to their resemblance.
- Women who are not biologically related may call each other 언니 to signal a close, sisterly bond. This transforms a family term into a social tool for friendship.
- The individual Hanja characters for 자매 (姉 and 妹) specifically denote the hierarchy of an 'elder' and 'younger' female.
Examples in context
- 메리와 앨리스가 서로 자매라는 것을 알고 있었어?Did you know Mary and Alice were sisters?This sentence is useful for confirming whether two people are 자매.Tatoeba #8358005 by Eunhee, translation #6242471 by CK
- 우리 자매는 사이가 좋아요.uri jamaeneun saiga joayo.My sister and I get along well.
Example conversation
Minjun and Minji are looking at a photo of Minji's family.
- 민준 Min-jun사진 속에 있는 분들이 누구예요?sajin soge inneun bundeuri nuguyeyo?Who are the people in the photo?
- 민지 Min-ji저랑 제 동생, 그러니까 자매예요.jeorang je dongsaeng, geureonikka jamaeyeyo.It's me and my younger sister, so we are sisters.
- 민준 Min-jun두 분이 정말 많이 닮으셨네요.du buni jeongmal mani dalmeusyeonneyo.The two of you look very much alike.
- 민지 Min-ji맞아요, 다들 그렇게 말해요.majayo, dadeul geureoke malhaeyo.That's right, everyone says so.
Sources
- Pronunciation: Wiktionary entry 자매, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
