姐姐
older sister
jiějie
What does 姐姐 mean?
姐姐 (jiějie) means 'older sister' — specifically a sister who is older than the speaker. Chinese kinship terms are precise: there is no single word for 'sister.' You must specify older (姐姐) or younger (妹妹). The second syllable is usually pronounced in the neutral tone (jiějie), though jiějiě is acceptable in careful speech.
Beyond family, 姐姐 is a friendly form of address for women who look slightly older than you — a customer might call a waitress 姐 or 姐姐, and young women online use it to greet female influencers. Children often address slightly older girls as 姐姐 even when not related. The single character 姐 alone is a casual short form ('sis').
Note: Standard everyday word. Also used affectionately to address slightly older female friends or strangers (waitresses, shop staff) who appear close in age.
Character breakdown
older sister
older sister (reduplicated, neutral tone)
Memory hook: Reduplicated like 妈妈 (māma) and 哥哥 (gēge) — Chinese family terms double the character to make them feel warm and familial.
Measure word for 姐姐
Example sentences
我姐姐今年二十岁。
Wǒ jiějie jīnnián èrshí suì.
My older sister is twenty this year.
neutral
我有一个姐姐和一个弟弟。
Wǒ yǒu yí ge jiějie hé yí ge dìdi.
I have one older sister and one younger brother.
neutral
姐姐，这个多少钱？
Jiějie, zhè ge duōshao qián?
Excuse me (miss), how much is this?
spoken, polite to a slightly older shop assistant
她是我姐姐的朋友。
Tā shì wǒ jiějie de péngyou.
She's my older sister's friend.
neutral
Common phrases with 姐姐
Synonyms
Single-character casual short form. 我姐 ('my sis') is very common in speech; 姐姐 sounds slightly more formal or childlike when used to refer to one's own sister.
Means 'eldest sister' literally, but commonly used to politely address an unknown woman who looks older than you in shops, restaurants, or on the street.
Don't confuse 姐姐 with
FAQ
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