How to Write 姐 (jiě) — Meaning “elder sister”

Imagine your elder sister (姐) is a woman (女) standing next to a ladder (且 looks like a ladder). She uses the ladder to reach high shelves and help you, just like a big sister does.

Write the left radical 女 first with three strokes: 撇点, 撇, 横. Then write the right part 且 with a vertical stroke, a horizontal fold, and three horizontals from top to bottom. Keep the left side narrow so the character is balanced; the bottom horizontal of 且 should be the longest.

Compare the right sides: 姐 has 且 (three horizontals), 奸 has 干 (a simple cross), and 她 has 也 (with a hook). 姐 means 'elder sister', 奸 means 'wicked', and 她 is the pronoun 'she'.

姐 is used to refer to or address an elder sister, often as 姐姐 in daily speech. It also appears in polite titles like 小姐 (xiǎo jiě, 'miss'). In Chinese culture, calling someone '姐姐' shows respect for an older female, even if not a blood relative.

Common words containing 姐 include: 姐姐 (jiě jiě) — elder sister; 小姐 (xiǎo jiě) — Miss; young lady; 姐弟 (jiě dì) — elder sister and younger brother.