姐姐
jiějie
China sister brother
姐姐 (jiějie) is the common way to say "older sister" in Mandarin Chinese. Chinese culture places importance on age and hierarchy within families, so different terms are used for older and younger siblings.
What does 姐姐 (jiějie) mean?
姐姐 (jiějie) means “China sister brother” in English. Word for word, it breaks down as “older sister.”
When to use it
Neutral and widely used. For a younger sister, use 妹妹 (mèimei). When referring to sisters in general or a group of sisters, you can use 姐妹 (jiěmèi).
How to pronounce it
Sounds roughly like "jee-EH-jyeh." The first 姐 is a rising tone, and the second is usually said lightly (neutral tone).
Other ways to say it
- 妹妹mèimeiyounger sister
- 姐妹jiěmèisisters (general)
- 表姐biǎojiěolder female cousin (mother's side)
Examples
我有一个姐姐。
wǒ yǒu yí ge jiějie.
I have an older sister.
姐姐，你好！
jiějie, nǐ hǎo!
Hello, older sister!
这是我的妹妹。
zhè shì wǒ de mèimei.
This is my younger sister.
Pro tip: Always specify if a sister is older (姐姐) or younger (妹妹) than you. Unlike English, there's no single general word for "sister" without this distinction.
Related phrases
阿姨 · Aunt宝贝 · Bae好朋友 · Best friend
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