Meaning of 妹妹
Definitions from CC-CEDICT.
- younger sister
- young woman
Measure word: 個|个
How to use 妹妹
妹妹 (mèimei) is the everyday word for your own younger sister, and people often say 我妹 (wǒ mèi) casually. Adults also use 小妹妹 (xiǎomèimei) to address a little girl they do not know. Example: 我妹妹今年十岁。(Wǒ mèimei jīnnián shí suì.) My younger sister is ten this year.
妹 is made of 女 (woman) plus 未 (wèi, not yet), which also hints at the sound. Picture a girl who is not yet grown up: your younger sister.
Common mistake: Learners often confuse 妹 with 姝 or mix up 未 and 末 inside it. In 未 the top horizontal stroke is shorter than the bottom one. Also, the second 妹 in 妹妹 is said in the neutral tone (mèimei), not mèimèi.
妹妹 in example sentences
Real sentences from the Tatoeba project, with pinyin and English.
Stroke order for each character
Open a character for its meaning, components and more words.
妹 mèi · younger sister · 8 strokes
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妹 mèi · younger sister · 8 strokes
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Related words
Words that share a character with 妹妹.
| 姐妹 | jiěmèi | sisters; siblings |
| 妹子 | mèizi | (dialect) younger sister; girl |
| 表妹 | biǎomèi | younger female cousin through a female relative |
| 兄弟姐妹 | xiōngdìjiěmèi | brothers and sisters; siblings |
| 小妹妹 | xiǎomèimei | little sister; little girl |
| 辣妹 | làmèi | hot chick; sexy girl |
| 姊妹 | zǐmèi | (older and younger) sisters; sister (school, city etc) |
| 小妹 | xiǎomèi | little sister; girl |
| 兄妹 | xiōngmèi | brother(s) and sister(s) |
| 妹夫 | mèifu | younger sister's husband |
| 弟妹 | dìmèi | younger sibling; younger brother's wife |
| 老妹 | lǎomèi | (dialect) younger sister; familiar form of address for a younger woman |
Questions about 妹妹
What does 妹妹 mean?
妹妹 (mèimei) means "younger sister; young woman" and is used as a noun.
How do you write 妹妹?
妹妹 is made of 2 characters: 妹 (8 strokes), 妹 (8 strokes). That is 16 strokes in total.
Is 妹妹 an HSK word?
Yes. 妹妹 is on the HSK 1 vocabulary list of the HSK 3.0 standard.
How do I say older sister and talk about sisters in general?
Older sister is 姐姐 (jiějie). For sisters as a group, use 姐妹 (jiěmèi), and for all siblings use 兄弟姐妹 (xiōngdìjiěmèi).
Can 妹妹 or 妹子 be used for girls who are not your sister?
Yes. 妹子 (mèizi) is a casual word for a young woman, and 小妹妹 is a friendly way to address a little girl. Be careful with 辣妹 (làmèi), which means a sexy girl and is not suitable in polite settings.