Sister in Chinese
The Chinese word for sister is 姐妹 (jiě mèi). Used for real sisters and for close friends; good for matching pieces.
jiě mèi
Sister
What 姐妹 means.
姐 is an elder sister and 妹 a younger one, so 姐妹 covers sisters of any age, and close female friends too.
- 姐
- elder sister
- 妹
- younger sister
Simplified and traditional
姐妹
姐妹
姐妹 is written the same way in simplified and traditional Chinese, so every Chinese reader recognises it.
About sister in Chinese
How do you write sister in Chinese?
Sister is 姐妹 in Chinese, pronounced jiě mèi. Sisters, sisterhood 姐 means “elder sister”, 妹 means “younger sister”.
How do you pronounce 姐妹?
Say jiě (third tone, dipping), mèi (fourth tone, falling). Mandarin tones change meaning, so it is worth listening to a native speaker once.
Is 姐妹 different in traditional Chinese?
No. 姐妹 is written the same way in simplified and traditional Chinese.
Is 姐妹 a good Chinese tattoo?
Yes, it is a real, everyday Chinese word rather than a machine translation, so Chinese readers will understand it. Keep the characters in their order, top to bottom or left to right, and never mirrored. Choose a readable style such as Kaishu, bring a clean reference to your artist, and show it to a fluent reader before your appointment.