# 姊姊



## Shaouva

Hi WR members !

I would like to know the difference (if there is one) between 姐姐 and 姊姊 ?  

Hope you guys can help me.


----------



## CapnPrep

姊 is officially or historically pronounced zi3 but now  I think everyone says jie3. It is interchangeable with 姐 to mean "older sister", but it cannot be used in the expression "小姐".

Here's a summary (in traditional Chinese): 姐 vs 姊


----------



## CHinphilly

I don't understand why people are so obsessed with traditional Chinese. I think you should forget about 姊姊. Even I don't understand the difference and I certainly don't use it or never heard anyone ever using it.


Kristina-Maria


----------



## CapnPrep

It is very difficult to hear whether somebody is using  姊姊 or 姐姐.


----------



## CHinphilly

Do they pronounce the same? Cheers


----------



## IDK

CHinphilly said:


> Do they pronounce the same? Cheers


 
_Are_ they _pronounced_ the same?

Yes, they are, which shows their interchangeability.

Some people just have a preference for using traditional characters as it is, well, traditional. Just remember what CapnPrep said earlier:



			
				CapnPrep said:
			
		

> [姊] is interchangeable with 姐 to mean "older sister", but it cannot be used in the expression "小姐".


----------



## CHinphilly

Thanks.

The point is nobody in China actually uses traditional Chinese. I sometimes get annoyed when I cannot read Chinese


----------



## timetogrow

Shaouva said:


> I would like to know the difference (if there is one) between 姐姐 and 姊姊 ?


Hi there, In Chinese  language "姐姐" means older sister while "姊姊 ", traditional chinese character which is mostly used in Hong Kong means younger sister.  The


----------



## Shaouva

Thanks for all your answers. 

I've been called 姊姊 by my friend's younger brother and he told me it was like 姐姐. I just wanted to make sure it didn't imply something else. So now I know. Thanks.

They're taiwanese so that's why they are using traditional characters. It's also the way I'm learning mandarin-chinese.


----------



## yuechu

I just wanted to confirm: does 姊姊 really mean "younger sister", as timetogrow said above, or does it mean "older sister"? (is Hong Kong or Cantonese usage different from that of Mainland China and Taiwan?)


----------



## SuperXW

He made a mistake. It should mean "older sister", same to 姐姐, and the pronunciation should be zi3.
Although 姊姊 is antique, the word 姊妹 for "sisters" is still being used. It reads "zi3mei4".


----------



## yuechu

Thanks, SuperXW!


----------



## schur

Following SuperXW's explanation, I'm not sure whether in Modern Standard Chinese 姊妹 is only for "Sisters", cuz in my dialect 姊妹 could not only mean "sisters" but also "brothers and sisters". For example, ——你家有几姊妹？——我家有两个，我还有个弟弟。
And 汉典 is supporting my local usage. ( 词语“姊妹”的解释 汉典 zdic.net )
Just another perspective, hope it doesn't confuse you guys much.


----------



## Ghabi

schur said:


> 姊妹 could not only mean "sisters" but also "brothers and sisters"


Yes, but only an elder sister plus younger brothers (not an elder brother plus younger sisters), at least in my home dialect (a Yue dialect, but not Cantonese).


----------



## SuperXW

schur said:


> Following SuperXW's explanation, I'm not sure whether in Modern Standard Chinese 姊妹 is only for "Sisters", cuz in my dialect 姊妹 could not only mean "sisters" but also "brothers and sisters". For example, ——你家有几姊妹？——我家有两个，我还有个弟弟。
> And 汉典 is supporting my local usage. ( 词语“姊妹”的解释 汉典 zdic.net )
> Just another perspective, hope it doesn't confuse you guys much.





Ghabi said:


> Yes, but only an elder sister plus younger brothers (not an elder brother plus younger sisters), at least in my home dialect (a Yue dialect, but not Cantonese).


I'm surprised to know that. Those explanations were under 國語辭典. I suppose it is a Taiwan dictionary. The explanations were more attached to the traditions comparing to the Mainland Chinese's standard. I don't think modern Mainland standard would accept "brothers" in this concept.


----------



## Youngfun

In my dialect as well 姊妹 can mean any couple of mixed-sex siblings, so brother+sister.

Is it true that in Taiwan they write 姊姊 but pronounce jiejie?


----------



## Skatinginbc

Yes.  姊姊 jie3jie 'sisters' in Taiwan.


----------



## CapnPrep

And 姊妹 is pronounced jiěmèi and refers only to female siblings (two or more). I don't remember hearing anyone say zǐzi or zǐmèi in Taiwan, and the general word for siblings is xiōngdìjiěmèi.


----------



## Fungk

xiongdijiemei is 兄弟姐妹, meaning siblings (any gender) in general

but jiemei 姐妹, meaning only siblings that are female.

Good luck!


----------



## Youngfun

CapnPrep said:


> And 姊妹 is pronounced jiěmèi and refers only to female siblings (two or more). I don't remember hearing anyone say zǐzi or zǐmèi in Taiwan, and the general word for siblings is xiōngdìjiěmèi.


In some regions of Mainland China, people do write 姊妹 and do say zǐmèi for "sisters".
But I've never heard 姊姊 zǐzi before.

From my experience, in Mainland China the readings 姐 jiě and 姊 zǐ are respected.

If someone reads 姊 jiě I'd consider that a 训读. For me that would be like seeing the word “father” and reading “dad”.


----------



## C.Du

schur said:


> Following SuperXW's explanation, I'm not sure whether in Modern Standard Chinese 姊妹 is only for "Sisters", cuz in my dialect 姊妹 could not only mean "sisters" but also "brothers and sisters". For example, ——你家有几姊妹？——我家有两个，我还有个弟弟。
> And 汉典 is supporting my local usage. ( 词语“姊妹”的解释 汉典 zdic.net )
> Just another perspective, hope it doesn't confuse you guys much.


Yes, in Modern Standard Chinese 姊妹 is only for "Sisters". 

When someone gives an answer "我家有两个，我还有个弟弟。" to "你家有几姊妹？", the first part "我家有两个" is the answer and because boys are important members in most Chinese families so "我还有个弟弟" is some additional information but not part of the answer.


Shaouva said:


> I would like to know the difference (if there is one) between 姐姐 and 姊姊 ?


姊姊 can be found sometimes in written Chinese, but not often, and not right actually. 姐姐 is always right to mean elder sister. 姊 is only right to be used together with 妹 (younger sister). "姊妹" means sisters including elder and younger sisters.


CapnPrep said:


> 姊 is officially or historically pronounced zi3 but now I think everyone says jie3.


姊 is still pronounced zi3.

But there are some people say jie3 when they see 姊 because they rarely use the word 姊, and they do know 姊 = 姐.


----------

