表妹

biǎomèi

noun #8,028

Measure Word

一个表妹 gè

Meanings

1 younger female cousin (on the maternal side, or father's sister's side)
2 younger female cousin with a different surname

Characters

surface; outside; maternal side of the family

Maternal-side + younger sister — a younger female cousin on the mother's side or from a different-surnamed uncle.

Examples

我表妹今年考上了大学。

Wǒ biǎomèi jīnnián kǎoshàng le dàxué.

My younger cousin got into university this year.

表妹从小就很聪明。

Biǎomèi cóngxiǎo jiù hěn cōngming.

My younger cousin has been smart since she was little.

我和表妹一起长大的。

Wǒ hé biǎomèi yīqǐ zhǎngdà de.

My younger cousin and I grew up together.

Tips

usage

Chinese has specific terms for every type of cousin. 表 (biǎo) cousins have different surnames (mother's side, father's sister's side). 堂 (táng) cousins share the same surname (father's brother's side). 妹 means younger, 姐 means older.

culture

The full set of female cousin terms: 表姐 (older, different surname), 表妹 (younger, different surname), 堂姐 (older, same surname), 堂妹 (younger, same surname). This system reflects the importance of family lineage in Chinese culture.

Stroke Order

表 biǎo

妹 mèi