姐姐 (jiě jie) — older sister | TongTong Chinese Dictionary

Definition

The HSK 1 word for an older sister — specifically older than the speaker. Contrast with 妹妹, which means younger sister. 姐妹 is a collective term covering both.

noun

older sister

Measure word · 个

Examples

姐姐。
Wǒ jiě jie shì xué shēng.
My older sister is a student.
姐姐。
Tā jiě jie shì lǎo shī.
Her older sister is a teacher.
姐姐。
Zhè shì jiě jie de māo.
This is older sister's cat.

Origin

Reduplicated word

构词法gòucífǎ

重叠chóngdiéReduplication

A syllable said twice — for affection, for softness, or simply because that is how the word is said.

姐jiěolder sister

姐姐 repeats 姐 to form an affectionate word for older sister.

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.

女且姐

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 →