How to Write 姊 (zǐ) — Meaning “Older sister.”

Picture an older sister (女) holding a big number 7 (㐧) because the character has 7 strokes. Or imagine she is the seventh child in the family, making her the eldest sister.

Pay attention to the right side 㐧: it starts with a dot, then a horizontal line, then a left-falling stroke, and ends with a hook-like shape. A common mistake is making the right side too small or confusing it with the simpler 乃.

Unlike 姊, the character 奴 uses the right component 又 (hand) and means 'slave', while 奶 uses 乃 (nai) and means 'milk' or 'breast'. The right side of 姊 has four strokes (㐧), while 奴 and 奶 have only two strokes on the right.

姊 is used in formal or written Chinese, especially in family words like 姊妹 (sisters) and 姊夫 (brother-in-law). In everyday conversation, people usually prefer 姐姐 to address an older sister, but 姊 carries a slightly more classical or respectful tone.

Common words containing 姊 include: 姊妹 (zǐ mèi) — sisters; 姊夫 (zǐ fū) — brother-in-law (elder sister's husband); 大姊 (dà zǐ) — Eldest sister.