妹 is a Chinese character with HSK 1 on the new exam.
Etymology
Oracle-bone origin
妹 is a phono-semantic compound with 女 'woman' as the semantic element and 未 supplying the sound. It does not appear in the oracle-bone corpus with its modern meaning; early graphs combining 女 and 未 are rare and the character stabilised later. The choice of 未 (which also carries a sense of 'not yet, incomplete') is sometimes read as hinting at a younger, not-yet-grown sister, though this reading is folk-etymological.
Form evolution
The small-seal form of 妹 already shows the modern left-right arrangement of 女 and 未. Clerical script squared off the curves of 女 and straightened the strokes of 未, and 楷书 preserved that layout unchanged. There has been no simplification since; traditional and simplified 妹 are identical.
How the meaning evolved
From its earliest attestations 妹 has meant 'younger sister', contrasting with 姊 (elder sister). The meaning has remained remarkably stable through classical, medieval, and modern Chinese. Modern Mandarin extends it in compounds such as 妹妹 (younger sister) and 表妹 (younger female cousin on the maternal side).
Cultural note
Internet-era slang has repurposed 妹 in terms like 妹子 and 美妹, used loosely for any young woman rather than strictly a sister. Learners should not confuse 妹 with 姊/姐, which refer to elder sisters and use entirely different phonetics.
Basic info
| New HSK exam | Recognise at HSK 1 |
| Frequency | #1028 most common |
Example sentences
我妹妹很可爱。
Wǒ mèimei hěn kě'ài.
My younger sister is very cute.
From 妹妹 (HSK 1)
Words containing 妹
| Word | Pinyin | Meaning | HSK |
|---|---|---|---|
| 妹妹 | mèimei | younger sister | HSK 1 |
On the new HSK 1 exam
Studying for HSK 1? Keep 妹 with the rest of your level.
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Frequently Asked Questions
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Reviewed by RJ Murray, Founder, HSK Lord.