姐姐

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.

Memory hook: Reduplicated like 妈妈 (māma) and 哥哥 (gēge) — Chinese family terms double the character to make them feel warm and familial.