妹妹
mèimèi
In Mandarin, "younger sister" is translated as 妹妹 (mèimèi).
妹妹 is the common and widely used term for a younger sister. While it literally refers to one's own biological younger sister, it can also be used as a friendly or affectionate way to refer to a girl or woman who is younger than oneself even if she is not a blood relative.
Meaning: Translations (noun)
What does it mean word for word?
The word is formed by the character 妹, which literally means younger sister.
Which one should you use?
妹妹 is used specifically for a younger sister, whereas 姐姐 is used for an older sister.
How does it change in a sentence?
The word 妹妹 is formed by the reduplication of the character 妹, which is a common way in Mandarin to form a noun denoting a familial relationship.
How do you pronounce it?
mèimèi
Did you know?
- In some traditional contexts, a woman might refer to her own younger sister as 妹 but refer to her husband's younger sister as 小姑子, showing a strict distinction in kinship.
- While 妹妹 means 'younger sister', the character 妹 contains the 'woman' radical 女 and the phonetic component 未, which also means 'not yet'.
- In modern internet slang, 妹妹 is sometimes used ironically or flirtatiously by men to refer to young women they are dating or pursuing, regardless of actual age.
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 妹妹.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 妹妹.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 person as your 妹妹.Tatoeba #1441759 by GlossaMatik, translation #9981690 by francaisr0wlet
- 我的妹妹很可爱。My younger sister is very cute.
- 你妹子怎么样？How is your younger sister doing?
- 这是我的小妹，她很聪明。This is my younger sister, she is very smart.
- 8 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Zhiqiang and Xiaowen are looking at a family photo.
- 志强 Zhiqiang照片里这个小女孩是你妹妹吗？Zhàopiàn lǐ zhège xiǎo nǚhái shì nǐ mèimei ma?Is this little girl in the photo your younger sister?
- 晓雯 Xiaowen不是，她是我表妹。Búshì, tā shì wǒ biǎomèi.No, she is my cousin.
- 志强 Zhiqiang哦，那你没有妹妹吗？Ó, nà nǐ méiyǒu mèimei ma?Oh, so you don't have a younger sister?
- 晓雯 Xiaowen是的，我是一个独生女。Shì de, wǒ shì yíge dúshēngnǚ.Yes, I am an only daughter.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “younger sister” translations, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
