Definition
表姐 refers to an older female cousin from your mother's side or your father's sister's side — any female cousin who does not share the same family name (外姓). English simply says 'cousin', but Chinese kinship distinguishes by age (姐 = older), gender, and lineage (表 vs 堂). Use 表姐 when the cousin is older than you and belongs to the maternal or paternal-aunt branch.
n.
older female maternal cousin (or paternal aunt's daughter, with a different surname)
Examples
- 表姐。Wǒ de biǎo jiě bǐ wǒ dà liǎng suì.My older female cousin is two years older than me.
- 表姐。biǎo jiě zhōumò lái wǒ jiā zuòkè.My older female cousin came to my house for a visit on the weekend.
- 表姐。Wǒ hé biǎo jiě cóngxiǎo jiù yìqǐ zhǎngdà.My older female cousin and I grew up together since childhood.
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