Chinese phrases
How to say sister in Chinese
Sister in Chinese is 姐姐 (jiě jie) for an older sister and 妹妹 (mèi mei) for a younger one. In everyday Chinese you say which one she is.
姐姐
older sister
Ways to say sister
姐姐
Everydayolder sister
Your older sister. You call her 姐姐 or just 姐.
妹妹
Everydayyounger sister
Your younger sister. In casual talk, 我妹 is “my little sister.”
姐妹
Everydaysisters; close female friend
Sisters as a group: 她们是姐妹, “they’re sisters.” Women also call a close female friend 姐妹.
姐
With friendssis; older sister
To your own older sister, and to a woman a little older than you: a colleague, a shop owner. Friendly, and younger-sounding than 阿姨.
大姐
Everydaybig sister
Friendly, to a woman clearly older than you, for example a stall owner. In a family, the oldest sister.
小姐姐
Textinga young woman (cute)
Online and among young people: a young woman, said in a friendly, cute way. 小哥哥 is the male form.
Common mistakes
Saying 我姐妹 for “my sister”
姐妹 is sisters together, or a close female friend. For your own sister, say 我姐 or 我妹.
Calling a woman 阿姨 too soon
To a woman only a little older than you, 阿姨 can make her feel old. 姐 is the safe choice.
Calling a waitress 小姐
In mainland China, 小姐 on its own also became slang for a woman in the sex trade, so calling a stranger 小姐 can sound wrong. Say 服务员 or 美女.
Borrowing clothes
姐，这件衣服我能穿吗？
Qiqi: Sis, can I wear this?
穿吧，别弄脏了。
Older sister: Go ahead. Just don’t get it dirty.
放心！姐，你最好了！
Qiqi: Don’t worry! You’re the best!
