姐妹 · Sister
Sister in Chinese: 姐姐 vs 妹妹
There is no neutral word for “sister” in Mandarin. 姐姐 (jiě jie) is a sister older than you; 妹妹 (mèi mei) is a sister younger than you. Age is not a detail — it is part of the word.
The short answer
jiě jie
older sister
Use for a sister older than you.
mèi mei
younger sister
Use for a sister younger than you.
Which one should you use?
The word itself states that she is older. Using 妹妹 for an older sister is a real, if small, mistake.
Use for a sister younger than you. If you are the younger sister, she is still 姐姐 to you.
Sister and the words around her
The two sister words, the collective “siblings”, and the husbands of each sister.
| Term | Pinyin | English | Who exactly | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| jiě jie | older sister | a sister older than you | ||
| mèi mei | younger sister | a sister younger than you | ||
| xiōng dì jiě mèi | siblings | your brothers and sisters collectively | 兄弟 alone means “brothers”; 姐妹 alone means “sisters”. 兄弟 is also used loosely between male friends. | |
| jiě fu | older sister's husband | your older sister's husband | ||
| mèi fu | younger sister's husband | your younger sister's husband |
姐妹 (jiěmèi) means “sisters” collectively, and is also used warmly between close female friends.
In a sentence
我有两个哥哥和一个妹妹。Wǒ yǒu liǎng gè gēge hé yī gè mèimei.
I have two older brothers and one younger sister.
这是我姐姐，她比我大三岁。Zhè shì wǒ jiějie, tā bǐ wǒ dà sān suì.
This is my older sister; she is three years older than me.
Common mistakes
- Using 妹妹 for an older sister. The word is a claim about relative age, not just gender.
- Treating 姐妹 as a singular “sister”. It is plural/collective — “sisters”.
- Forgetting that the same age rule applies to cousins: 堂姐 and 表姐 are older, 堂妹 and 表妹 are younger.
The cultural bit
What the word carries
Birth order organises obligation in Chinese families: who is addressed with which term, who is expected to look after whom. That is why 姐姐 and 妹妹 are not interchangeable, and why the same older/younger split appears again in cousins and in in-law siblings.
Questions
How do you say younger sister in Chinese?
妹妹 (mèi mei). The second syllable is neutral: mèi mei, not mèi mèi.
How do you say older sister in Chinese?
姐姐 (jiě jie), a third tone plus a neutral tone.
Is there a gender-neutral word for siblings?
兄弟姐妹 (xiōngdì jiěmèi) covers brothers and sisters together. 兄弟 alone means brothers; 姐妹 alone means sisters.
Do Chinese people use 姐妹 for friends?
Yes. 姐妹 and 姐妹淘 are used warmly between close female friends, especially younger speakers.
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