A younger female sibling in the family.
Younger sister, or a friendly term for a younger girl or woman. Woman (女) + 未 "not yet" = the female not yet grown up, so little sister.
妹
Common Usage & Traps
- 妹妹 — younger sister
- 姐妹 — sisters
- 小妹 — little sister
- 兄妹 — older brother and younger sister
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妹姐姐妹Chinese family terms usually put the older sibling first, so 'sisters' is 姐妹, not 妹姐.
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一个妹一个妹妹When meaning 'a younger sister,' 妹 is normally used as the reduplicated 妹妹, not alone.
What is the difference between 妹 and 姐?
妹 means younger sister; 姐 means older sister.
Both are family words for sisters, but they differ by age. 妹 is the younger sister, while 姐 is the older sister. In natural Chinese, 妹妹 is the common word for 'younger sister,' and 姐姐 is the common word for 'older sister.'
| Dimension | Natural | Avoid |
|---|---|---|
| Meaning | 妹 = younger sister | 姐 = older sister |
| Common word | 妹妹 | 姐姐 |
| Example | 我妹妹做晚饭。 | 我姐姐做晚饭。 |
How do 妹 and 未 look different?
妹 has the woman radical 女 on the left; 未 does not.
妹 and 未 share the right-side shape, but 妹 adds 女 on the left. That left part signals a female person, so 妹 means 'younger sister.' 未 alone means 'not yet' and is not used for a person.
| Dimension | Natural | Avoid |
|---|---|---|
| Character | 妹 | 未 |
| Meaning | younger sister | not yet |
| Key clue | has 女 on the left | no 女 radical |
Appears in Stories 3 stories
This simple HSK 2 story introduces a warm family of six. Follow Little Bao and his British wife as they raise their two green-eyed children, each with their own personality.
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朋友们叫他的女儿“ 包小妹 ”，叫他儿子“小小包”。
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包小妹 最喜欢画画儿。
This playful rhyme helps you learn family words in Chinese. Practice saying who's who with simple questions and answers!
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那个女孩儿是 我妹 。
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哥哥和弟弟，姐姐和 妹妹 也是我家人，也是好朋友。
This simple story introduces you to a family and what each member likes to do. Learn helpful words for food and daily activities as you read about Grandpa, Grandma, Mom, Dad, and the kids.
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妹妹 做晚饭。
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