姐

jiě

且 + 女

Definitions

jiě (noun) older sister

Etymology

Phonosemantic compound. 女 represents the meaning and 且 represents the sound.

Semantic: 女 Phonetic: 且

About

姐 (jiě) is a phono-semantic compound: the component 女 (nǚ) 'woman' conveys the meaning, and 且 (qiě) provides the sound. Its primary sense is 'older sister', denoting a female sibling of higher rank in the family. Over time, its usage broadened to become a polite or affectionate term of address for older female relatives, female friends, and young women in general. As a noun, 姐's meaning varies with social context, designating either a literal kinship relationship or a respectful title in everyday interaction.

Etymology Hide

Seal Shuowen (~100 AD)

Traditional Modern

Simplified Modern

Example Sentences Hide

她是我的姐姐。

Tā shì wǒ de jiějie.

She is my older sister.

我姐姐很忙。

Wǒ jiějie hěn máng.

My older sister is very busy.

姐姐帮助我学习。

Jiějie bāngzhù wǒ xuéxí.

My older sister helps me study.

我和姐姐去公园。

Wǒ hé jiějie qù gōngyuán.

I go to the park with my older sister.

姐姐昨天买了一件新衣服。

Jiějie zuótiān mǎi le yī jiàn xīn yīfu.

My older sister bought a new piece of clothing yesterday.

我的姐姐是一名医生。

Wǒ de jiějie shì yī míng yīshēng.

My older sister is a doctor.

虽然姐姐很严格，但她很关心我。

Suīrán jiějie hěn yángé, dàn tā hěn guānxīn wǒ.

Although my older sister is strict, she cares about me.

姐姐不仅工作努力，而且还经常照顾家人。

Jiějie bùjǐn gōngzuò nǔlì, érqiě hái jīngcháng zhàogù jiārén.

My older sister not only works hard, but also often takes care of the family.

Related Characters

Component: 且

Component: 女

姐