Meaning
妹妹 refers to one's younger sister or a younger female sibling. It's one of the most basic kinship terms in Chinese and is used both to refer to one's own younger sister and to address younger girls in informal, familial contexts.
Usage
Native speakers use 妹妹 both as a reference term (talking about someone's younger sister) and as a direct address (calling a younger sister or young girl). In families, it's extremely common to call younger sisters by this term rather than their given names. Outside the family, adults may use it affectionately to address young girls.
Examples
- 01我有一个妹妹，她今年十岁。, .I have a younger sister; she is ten years old this year.
- 02妹妹，快来吃饭！, !Little sister, come eat!
Characters
Measure words
- 个一个妹妹
- 位两位妹妹
Common collocations
- 亲妹妹biological younger sister
- 表妹妹younger female cousin
- 小妹妹little sister, little girl
Antonyms
Origin
The character 妹 combines the 女 (woman) radical with 未 (not yet), originally suggesting a younger or not-yet-mature female family member. The reduplication creates the familiar kinship term.