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兄妹 (xiōng mèi) — brother and sister (older brother and younger sister)

Definition

An older-brother/younger-sister pair as a unit. Sibling 兄弟姐妹 covers any brothers and sisters regardless of age order.

noun
brother and sister (older brother and younger sister)

Examples

  • 兄妹。
    Tā men xiōng mèi liǎng rén gǎn qíng fēi cháng hǎo.
    The two of them, brother and sister, get along very well.
  • 兄妹。
    Zhè duì xiōng mèi cóng xiǎo yì qǐ zhǎng dà.
    This brother and sister grew up together.
  • 兄妹，。
    Tā men liǎ shì xiōng mèi, guān xì hěn qīn mì.
    The two of them are brother and sister, and they have a close relationship.

Origin

Compound word
构词法gòucífǎ
联合liánhéCoordinate

Two parts of equal weight, alike or opposite in meaning, standing side by side.

兄xiōngolder brother
妹mèiyounger sister

Older brother and younger sister are joined to mean brother and sister.

Characters in this word

Two or more meaningful parts placed together so that their meanings combine into a new one.

The shape 兄 puts 口, a mouth, above 儿 to express the idea of giving orders; this fits the old meaning of an elder brother.

Open 兄 →

Most characters — around four in five — are built this way: one part hints at the meaning, the other at the pronunciation.

Meaning part形符xíngfú
女女nǚfemale, woman
Sound part声符shēngfú
未
未wèi妹mèi
The sound has drifted apartThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

妹 combines 女, a woman, with 未, which gives the sound.

Open 妹 →
Appears in
Family & Kinship

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