sister
sister — 名詞
1. a female sibling — the girl in a family who shares both parents, or one parent,
姊妹
有相同父母或其中一人的女兒
a female sibling — the girl in a family who shares both parents, or one parent, with another child.
Adaeze and her younger sister shared a bedroom until she finished high school.
Adaeze 和她的妹妹直到高中畢業都共用一間臥室。
possessive determiner + sister: 'her younger sister'
Dewi's older sister taught her how to ride a bicycle when she was six.
Dewi 的姊姊在她六歲時教她騎腳踏車。
possessive + 'older sister'
Mira's baby sister just learned to walk last month.
Mira 的妹妹上個月才學會走路。
Salma waved goodbye to her sister at the train station before moving to Tokyo.
Salma 在火車站向姊姊揮手告別，然後前往東京。
- sibling
gender-neutral term; can refer to a brother or a sister
- half-sister
specifically a sister who shares one parent, not both
- brother
male sibling
文法句型
my/her/his sister
older/younger/little/big sister
twin/half/stepsister
用法筆記
Commonly preceded by a modifier such as 'older', 'younger', 'little', 'big', 'twin', 'half', or 'step' to specify the relationship. 'Half-sister' means you share one parent; 'stepsister' means your parent married her parent and there is no blood relation.
常見錯誤
2. a woman or girl who is not related to you by birth but who treats you with the k
閨密；好姊妹
情同姊妹的親密女性朋友
a woman or girl who is not related to you by birth but who treats you with the kindness, loyalty, and emotional support expected from a family sister — a very close female friend.
Devika has been like a sister to me ever since we met in college.
Devika 從我們大學認識以來，對我就像親姊妹一樣。
'like a sister to [someone]' for a close non-relative friendship
Hana considers the four women in her book club her sisters.
Hana 把讀書會的四位女性視為自己的姊妹。
When Antonia lost her job, her neighbour Marta was a true sister — cooking meals and helping with the résumé.
Antonia 失業時，鄰居 Marta 就像真正的姊妹一樣，煮飯給她吃，還幫她修改履歷。
Devika's colleagues call each other sisters because their team supports one another through every challenge.
Devika 的同事們互稱姊妹，因為她們團隊總是互相支持，度過每一次挑戰。
- close friend
neutral term for a trusted companion
- confidante
a woman you trust with secrets; more formal
- best friend
the closest level of friendship
文法句型
like a sister to [someone]
be sisters (figurative)
用法筆記
Often used figuratively in phrases like 'like a sister' or 'she is a sister to me.' This sense does not imply a blood or legal family bond. In informal Taiwan speech, terms like '好姊妹' (good sisters) or '閨密' (bestie) convey a similar meaning.
常見錯誤
3. a fellow female activist, especially one working alongside you for women's right
姊妹；同志
共同追求婦女權益或社會目標的女性
a fellow female activist, especially one working alongside you for women's rights or gender equality — someone fighting the same social struggle.
Greta spoke at the conference about the bond among sisters in the global women's movement.
Greta 在研討會上談到全球婦女運動中姊妹之間的情誼。
'sisters in [movement]' — sense of solidarity in a shared cause
The activists marched together, calling each other sisters in the fight for equal pay.
這些運動人士一同遊行，在爭取同工同酬的奮鬥中互稱姊妹。
A network of sisters from across the region gathered to plan the next campaign.
來自全國各地的一個姊妹網絡齊聚一堂，策劃下一場倡議活動。
At the community centre, local sisters help young women apply for college scholarships.
在社區中心，在地的姊妹們幫助年輕女性申請大學獎學金。
文法句型
sisters in [cause/movement]
our sisters (collective address)
用法筆記
This sense carries a strong connotation of solidarity and shared political purpose. It is common in activist, feminist, and social-justice contexts. In Taiwan, similar usage appears in women's rights groups and NGO campaigns.
4. a friendly way to call out to a woman whose name you do not know, similar to say
大姊
對陌生女性的非正式稱呼
a friendly way to call out to a woman whose name you do not know, similar to saying 'miss' in a casual setting.
'Excuse me, sister, do you know where the library is?' the young woman asked.
「不好意思，大姊，請問圖書館在哪裡？」那名年輕女子問道。
vocative use at the start of a question
Ari turned to the woman beside him and said, 'Sister, can you help me find platform three?'
Ari 轉向身旁的女子說：「大姊，可以告訴我第三月台怎麼走嗎？」
The cashier smiled at the customer and said, 'Thank you, sister, have a great evening.'
收銀員微笑著對顧客說：「謝謝妳，大姊，祝妳有個愉快的晚上。」
'Don't worry, sister, I will hold the door for you,' the student called out with a smile.
「別擔心，大姊，我幫你扶著門。」那名學生微笑著喊道。
文法句型
Sister, ... (at the start of a sentence)
用法筆記
Used informally, especially within African American, Caribbean, and some Asian communities as a friendly or respectful way to address a woman. In Taiwan, the equivalent '姊妹' is used in certain subcultures (e.g. church groups, online forums), but '小姐' or '美女' are more common in everyday public address.
常見錯誤
5. a woman who commits to living in a faith-based community, taking vows of service
修女
女性宗教團體成員，尤指天主教修女
a woman who commits to living in a faith-based community, taking vows of service and prayer — typically referred to as a nun.
Sister Mary teaches English at the Catholic school near the old church.
Mary 修女在舊教堂附近的天主教學校教英文。
title 'Sister' + first name — formal address for a nun
The sisters at the convent run a shelter for homeless families in the winter.
修道院的修女們在冬天為無家可歸的家庭提供庇護所。
Christopher visited the mission and spoke with Sister Teresa about the food programme.
Christopher 前往教會傳教站，與 Teresa 修女討論食物援助計劃。
The sisters at the mission teach children to read and write in the after-school programme.
傳教站的修女們在課後輔導計劃中教孩子們讀寫。
- nun
more general term; interchangeable in most contexts
- religious sister
more formal; distinguishes from a 'sister' in the family sense
- brother
male member of a religious order (e.g. Brother John)
文法句型
Sister [Name]
the sisters at [convent/mission]
用法筆記
When used as a title before a name, 'Sister' is capitalized (e.g. Sister Agnes). The term is used across Catholic, Orthodox, Anglican, and some Buddhist traditions. In Taiwan, '修女' (xiūnǚ) is the standard term for Catholic nuns.
常見錯誤
6. a senior woman on a hospital ward who oversees patient care, manages the nursing
護理長
負責醫院病房或部門的女性資深護理師
a senior woman on a hospital ward who oversees patient care, manages the nursing team, and reports to the doctors on the floor.
The ward sister checked each patient's chart before the doctor arrived for rounds.
病房護理長在醫生來查房之前，先檢查了每位病人的病歷表。
'the ward sister' — specific hospital role
Ilan asked the sister on duty whether his grandmother could receive more visitors.
Ilan 詢問值班護理長，他的祖母是否可以接受更多訪客。
Sister Chen has worked as the head nurse in the emergency department for twelve years.
陳護理長在急診部門擔任護理長已經十二年了。
The night sister checks that every patient in the ward receives the correct medicine on time.
值夜班的護理長會確認病房裡的每位病人按時拿到正確的藥物。
- charge nurse
gender-neutral modern term widely used today
- head nurse
common in US hospitals; less specific than 'ward sister'
文法句型
the ward sister
Sister [surname] (as title)
用法筆記
This sense is primarily British. In the UK, 'ward sister' or simply 'sister' is the traditional title for a senior female nurse in charge of a ward. In the US, the equivalent is 'head nurse' or 'charge nurse.' In Taiwan, the equivalent role is '護理長' (hùlǐzhǎng) or '護理督導.' This usage is becoming less common as gender-neutral terms like 'charge nurse' replace it.
常見錯誤
7. a woman who belongs to the same college club, trade union, or professional body
社團姊妹
聯誼會或工會等組織的女性會員
a woman who belongs to the same college club, trade union, or professional body as you — your fellow member in an organisation for women.
The sorority sisters at the University of Michigan organized a charity run for cancer research.
密西根大學聯誼會的姊妹們為癌症研究舉辦了一場慈善路跑。
'sorority sisters' — fellow female members of a college club
Union sisters voted together to support the new contract for fair wages.
工會的姊妹們一致投票支持爭取公平薪資的新合約。
Every new member of the association is welcomed as a sister during the induction ceremony.
協會的每位新會員在入會儀式上都被歡迎為姊妹。
The Delta Gamma sisters raised over ten thousand dollars for the local food bank.
Delta Gamma 聯誼會的姊妹們為當地食物銀行募得了超過一萬美元。
- member
gender-neutral; less specific about the relationship
- fellow member
emphasizes shared membership without gender specificity
文法句型
sorority sister
union sister
[group name] sister
用法筆記
Common in American college culture, where sororities are social organizations for female students. Also used in labour unions ('union sisters') to express solidarity among female workers. In Taiwan, the closest equivalent is '學姊妹' (sister in the same school or club lineage), used in university clubs and fraternity-like organizations.
常見錯誤
sister — 形容詞
1. used before a noun to show that a business, ship, school, or other institution i
同集團的
屬於同一集團或體系下的
used before a noun to show that a business, ship, school, or other institution is part of the same larger group as another, normally under one parent body.
The Tokyo restaurant chain shares a delivery network with its sister company in Bangkok.
這家東京連鎖餐廳與其在曼谷的姊妹公司共用配送網絡。
'sister company' — a company under the same parent group
Two sister ships from the same cruise line docked at the port this morning.
同一個郵輪公司的兩艘姊妹船今天上午停靠在港口。
The Taipei office works closely with its sister branch in Kaohsiung on client projects.
台北辦公室與高雄的姊妹分公司在客戶專案上密切合作。
Mercy Hospital is a sister institution of the medical school, sharing faculty and research resources.
Mercy 醫院是該醫學院的姊妹機構，共享師資與研究資源。
- affiliated
more formal; implies a formal connection but not necessarily the same owner
- associated
general term for connected entities; broader than 'sister'
文法句型
sister [company/ship/branch/organisation]
用法筆記
This adjective is always used before a noun — you cannot say 'this company is sister.' Common word partnerships include 'sister company,' 'sister ship,' 'sister school,' 'sister organisation,' 'sister city' (a city twinned with another), and 'sister branch.' In Chinese (Taiwan), the equivalent prefix is '姊妹' (e.g. 姊妹公司, 姊妹校, 姊妹市).