妹妹
mèimèi
The Chinese word for "younger sister" is 妹妹 (mèimèi).
妹妹 is used to refer to a biological younger sister. Beyond family ties, it can also be used as a friendly or affectionate way to address a girl or woman who is younger than the speaker.
Meaning: Translations (noun)
What does it mean word for word?
The reduplicated form 妹妹 is built from the character 妹, which means younger sister.
Which one should you use?
While 妹妹 refers specifically to a younger sister, 姐姐 is used for an older sister.
Is it said differently in some regions?
The term 妹子儿 is a regional term frequently used in the Beijing dialect.
How does it change in a sentence?
To indicate a plural number of younger sisters, the suffix 们 is added to the end of 妹妹 to form 妹妹们.
How do you pronounce it?
mèimèi
Did you know?
- The character 妹 is composed of two parts: 女 meaning 'woman' and 未 meaning 'not yet'. This visually suggests a girl who has 'not yet' reached adulthood or a certain status.
- The concept of 'younger sister' extends to professional hierarchies, where a much younger female colleague might be addressed with familial terms to build rapport.
- In some contexts, calling a stranger 妹妹 can be seen as overly flirtatious or even patronizing, rather than just a friendly way to address a younger woman.
Examples in context
- 我没有妹妹。I don't have a younger sister.This sentence is useful for stating that you do not have a younger sister.Tatoeba #13942570 by jan_OkulaJu, translation #1183190 by Vortarulo
- 这是我的妹妹。This is my younger sister.This sentence is useful for introducing your younger sister.Tatoeba #3365858 by hzy980512, translation #3378980 by boosure
- 进商店的人是我妹妹。The person entering the store is my younger sister.This sentence is useful for identifying a younger sister as someone entering a store.Tatoeba #1441759 by GlossaMatik, translation #9981690 by francaisr0wlet
- 我的妹妹My younger sister
- 这是我妹子This is my younger sister
- 我的小妹妹My little sister
- 嘿，妹儿，你在干啥呢?Hey, sis, what are you up to?
- 这是我妹子，她今年十八岁。This is my younger sister, she is 18 years old.
- 妹妹，我们一起去买冰淇淋吧!Younger sister, let's go buy ice cream together!
- 8 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Two friends are talking about their family members.
- 晓雯 Xiaowen你有妹妹吗？Nǐ yǒu mèimei ma?Do you have a younger sister?
- 浩然 Haoran我有两个妹妹。Wǒ yǒu liǎng gè mèimei.I have two younger sisters.
- 晓雯 Xiaowen她们现在在哪里？Tāmen xiànzài zài nǎlǐ?Where are they now?
- 浩然 Haoran她们都在学校读书。Tāmen dōu zài xuéxiào dúshū.They are both studying at school.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “younger sister” translations, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
