姐 jiě — older sister
我姐姐在大学读书。Wǒ jiě jie zài dà xué dú shū.My older sister studies at university.
Common words: 姐姐 (jiě jie)、小姐 (xiǎo jie)、姐妹 (jiě mèi)
Meaning Index
Chinese characters meaning "older sister"
Learn Chinese characters with the meaning "older sister", including 姐 (jiě), 姊 (zǐ). Study pinyin, English meanings, traditional forms, common words…
How to Study This Meaning Group
The English word "older sister" covers 2 different Chinese characters — 姐 (jiě), 姊 (zǐ) — and each is its own word with its own feel. These 2 characters do not share a sound — their readings span jiě, zǐ — so confirm the pinyin and tone for each one separately. The example sentences further down show how 姐 and the others are actually used, so you learn them in context rather than as a single translation.
- 姐 jiěolder sisterUseful words: 姐姐, 小姐
- 姊 zǐolder sisterUseful words: 家姊, 长姊
Common words for these 2 "older sister" characters
Anchor each of these 2 characters in a word you can picture — start with 姐 (jiě) — so "older sister" turns into concrete usage instead of a one-to-one translation.
See each character in a sentence
Each character below is shown in a short example sentence with pinyin and an English translation — the quickest way to feel the difference between the 2 ways to say "older sister".
姊 zǐ — older sister
“姊妹”和“姐妹”是一个意思。“Zǐ mèi” hé “jiě mèi” shì yí ge yì si.The words zimei and jiemei both mean sisters.
Common words: 家姊 (jiā zǐ)、长姊 (zhǎng zǐ)、姊夫 (zǐ fu)
All 2 characters
Open 姐、姊 or any character below to hear it read aloud and see it used in an example sentence.