表姐妹

biǎojiěmèi

noun #34,600

Measure Word

一个表姐妹 gè

Meanings

1 female cousins (through a female relative, i.e., daughters of mother's siblings or father's sisters)

Characters

outer (cousin via female line)

Examples

我们是表姐妹，从小一起长大。

Wǒmen shì biǎojiěmèi, cóng xiǎo yìqǐ zhǎng dà.

We are cousins (on the maternal/paternal-aunt side) and grew up together.

她有三个表姐妹住在国外。

Tā yǒu sān ge biǎojiěmèi zhù zài guówài.

She has three female cousins living abroad.

Tips

culture

The 表/堂 split is fundamental to Chinese kinship. 堂 (táng) = same surname (father's brothers' children); 表 (biǎo) = different surname (mother's siblings or father's sisters' children). 表姐妹 = the female 表 cousins; older are 表姐, younger are 表妹.

Stroke Order

表 biǎo

姐 jiě

妹 mèi