n.
younger sister
妹妹
younger sister
Your younger sister. Chinese family vocabulary strictly specifies birth order, placing younger sisters in a warm, caring relationship.
Common Usage & Traps
- 我妹妹 — my younger sister (casual)
- 我的妹妹 — my younger sister (formal or emphatic)
- 姐姐和妹妹 — older sister and younger sister
- 我有一个妹妹 — I have a younger sister
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妹妹姐姐姐姐和妹妹Chinese needs 和 between sibling nouns. Natural order often puts older before younger.
Does 妹妹 mean any sister, or only a younger one?
妹妹 only means younger sister; for older sister you must say 姐姐.
English just says 'sister,' but Chinese forces you to pick based on age. If you call an older sister 妹妹, it sounds like a weird joke or a real insult. Use 姐姐 for older, 妹妹 for younger. This is not optional politeness; it's basic meaning.
“哥哥和弟弟，姐姐和妹妹
也是我家人，也是好朋友。” (My older and younger brothers, my older and younger sisters — they're my family and also my good friends.)
“哥哥和弟弟，姐姐和妹妹
也是我家人，也是好朋友。” (My older and younger brothers, my older and younger sisters — they're my family and also my good friends.)
| Dimension | Natural | Avoid |
|---|---|---|
| Older sister | 姐姐 | 妹妹 |
| Younger sister | 妹妹 | 姐姐 |
| English 'sister' | Pick 姐姐 or 妹妹 | Using one word for both |
Can you drop 的 and just say 我妹妹?
Yes, 我妹妹 is the normal casual way; 我的妹妹 sounds more formal or deliberate.
With close family, Chinese often skips 的. Saying 我妹妹 is like saying 'my sis' in English. Saying 我的妹妹 is not wrong, but it can feel stiff or overly formal. In daily WeChat chats, people just type 我妹妹.
| Dimension | Natural | Avoid |
|---|---|---|
| Daily speech | 我妹妹 | 我的妹妹 (overly formal) |
| Written introduction | 我的妹妹 | 我妹妹 (too casual in some formal contexts) |
Appears in Stories 2 stories
Real context sentences across different daily scenarios and graded readings.
This playful rhyme helps you learn family words in Chinese. Practice saying who's who with simple questions and answers!
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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。
Questions & Discussion 0 questions
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