Chinese word

姐妹

Pronunciation

Pinyinjiě mèi

Meaning

  • nounsisters

Example

姐妹经常一起逛街。jiě mèi jīng cháng yì qǐ guàng jiē

Sisters often go shopping together.

Illustration for 姐妹 (sisters)

More examples

她和姐妹关系很好。tā hé jiě mèi guān xì hěn hǎo

She gets along well with her sisters.

Core concept

A female bond defined by sisterly roles, whether rooted in family or close companionship.

Common phrases

  • 姐妹关系jiě mèi guān xì

    relationship between sisters

  • 姐妹们jiě mèi men

    sisters

Similar words

朋友péng yǒu: A person who spends time with or helps another as a friend.
好朋友hǎo péng yǒu: A particularly close friend.
亲姐妹qīn jiě mèi: Sisters who share the same parents and a clear blood relationship.
兄弟xiōng dì: Family siblings without regard to gender.

Definition in Chinese

表示女性之间按年龄可区分为姐姐或妹妹的亲属关系，也常用于形容关系亲近的女性群体。biǎo shì nǚ xìng zhī jiān àn nián líng kě qū fēn wèi jié jiě huò mèi mèi de qīn shǔ guān xì yě cháng yòng yú xíng róng guān xì qīn jìn de nǚ xìng qún tǐ

Word origin

The compound 姐 (jiě, "older sister") + 妹 (mèi, "younger sister") joins the two age roles that define a sister relationship.

Usage tips

  • English often keeps sibling terms tied to family, but Chinese can use this word for female solidarity, so the surrounding situation helps distinguish kinship from closeness.

Opposites

Word lists with this word