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姐妹 (jiě mèi) — sisters; sister (city, school, etc.)

Definition

Plural-style 'sisters': literal sisters (covers both 姐姐 and 妹妹 together), plus figurative uses like 'sister cities' or close female friends. For a single sister, pick 姐姐 (older) or 妹妹 (younger).

noun
sisterssister (city, school, etc.)

Examples

  • 姐妹。
    Zhè duì jiě mèi guān xì hěn hǎo.
    These two sisters get along very well.
  • 姐妹。
    Shàng hǎi hé dōng jīng shì jiě mèi chéng shì.
    Shanghai and Tokyo are sister cities.
  • 姐妹。
    Tā shì wǒ zuì hǎo de jiě mèi zhī yī.
    She is one of my best sisters (close friends).

Origin

Compound word
构词法gòucífǎ
联合liánhéCoordinate

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

姐jiěolder sister
妹mèiyounger sister

姐妹 joins 姐 and 妹, older and younger sisters, to mean sisters.

Characters in this word

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nǚwoman
Sound part声符shēngfú
且
且qiě姐jiě
Close in sound todayThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

The 女 part points to a woman, and 且 is a sound component.

Open 姐 →

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
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