# 妹

| 妹 | U+59B9, &#22969; CJK UNIFIED IDEOGRAPH-59B9 |
| ← 妸 [U+59B8] | CJK Unified Ideographs | 妺 → [U+59BA] |

## Translingual
### Han character

妹 (Kangxi radical 38, 女+5, 8 strokes, cangjie input 女十木 (VJD), four-corner 4549$_0$, composition ⿰女未)

#### Derived characters

* 𠵈, 𱧁, 𨨓, 𦳀, 𦾇

### References

* Kangxi Dictionary: page 257, character 28
* Dai Kanwa Jiten: character 6138
* Dae Jaweon: page 522, character 23
* Hanyu Da Zidian (first edition): volume 2, page 1034, character 6
* Unihan data for U+59B9

## Chinese
### Glyph origin

Historical forms of the character 妹 :
| Shang | Western Zhou | Shuowen Jiezi (compiled in Han) |
| Oracle bone script | Bronze inscriptions | Small seal script |
| | Old Chinese |
| 寐 | *mids |
| 魅 | *mrɯds |
| 鬽 | *mrɯds |
| 昧 | *mɯːds |
| 妹 | *mɯːds |
| 眛 | *maːds, *mɯːds |
| 沬 | *maːds, *hmɯːds, *mɯds |
| 未 | *mɯds |
| 味 | *mɯds |
| 鮇 | *mɯds |
| 菋 | *mɯds |
Phono-semantic compound (形聲 / 形声, OC *mɯːds): semantic 女 (“female, woman”) + phonetic 未 (OC *mɯds).

### Etymology

Probably Sino-Tibetan. Proposed etymologies:
* STEDT relates it to Proto-Sino-Tibetan *mi (“girl; female; feminine suffix”), whence Apatani nyimii (“girl; woman; female”), Proto-Loloish *C-mi² (“woman”), Proto-Karen *hmɨᴮ (“female; woman”).
* Schuessler (2007) compares it to Burmese မ (ma., “sister”) (whence အစ်မ (acma., “elder sister”), ညီမ (nyima., “younger sister”)), Miju ku-mai- (“woman”), Tibetan བུད་མེད (bud med, “woman”), and also Mizo hmei (“concubine”) (> Mizo hmei-chhia (“woman; wife”)), which STEDT relates to Proto-Sino-Tibetan *s-maj (“widow, widower”) instead.

### Pronunciation

* Mandarin
    (Standard)
       (Pinyin): mèi (mei$^4$)
       (Zhuyin): ㄇㄟˋ
    (Chengdu, Sichuanese Pinyin): mei$^4$
* Cantonese
    (Guangzhou–Hong Kong, Jyutping): mui$^6$ / mui$^{6-1}$ / mui$^{6-2}$
    (Taishan, Wiktionary): moi$^2$
* Gan (Wiktionary): mi$^5$
* Hakka
    (Sixian, PFS): moi
    (Hailu, HRS): moi$^ˇ$
    (Meixian, Guangdong): moi$^4$
* Jin (Wiktionary): mei$^3$
* Northern Min (KCR): mṳē / mṳē$^{→mā̤}$
* Eastern Min (BUC): muói
* Southern Min
    (Hokkien, POJ): bē / bēr / māi / mōe / běr / bōe / mūi / moāi
    (Teochew, Peng'im): muê$^6$ / muê$^7$
* Wu (Shanghai, Wugniu): $^6$me
* Xiang (Changsha, Wiktionary): mei$^5$ / mei$^4$
* Mandarin
** (Standard Chinese)
*** Hanyu Pinyin: mèi
*** Zhuyin: ㄇㄟˋ
*** Tongyong Pinyin: mèi
*** Wade–Giles: mei$^4$
*** Yale: mèi
*** Gwoyeu Romatzyh: mey
*** Palladius: мэй (mɛj)
*** Sinological IPA : /meɪ̯⁵¹/
** (Chengdu)
*** Sichuanese Pinyin: mei$^4$
*** Scuanxua Ladinxua Xin Wenz: mei
*** Sinological IPA : /mei²¹³/
* Cantonese
** (Standard Cantonese, Guangzhou–Hong Kong)
*** Jyutping: mui$^6$ / mui$^{6-1}$ / mui$^{6-2}$
*** Yale: muih / mūi / múi
*** Cantonese Pinyin: mui$^6$ / mui$^{6-1}$ / mui$^{6-2}$
*** Guangdong Romanization: mui$^6$ / mui$^{6-1}$ / mui$^{6-2}$
*** Sinological IPA : /muːi̯²²/, /muːi̯²²⁻⁵⁵/, /muːi̯²²⁻³⁵/
** (Taishanese, Taicheng)
*** Wiktionary: moi$^2$
*** Sinological IPA : /ᵐbᵘɔi⁵⁵/
* Gan
** (Nanchang)
*** Wiktionary: mi$^5$
*** Sinological IPA : /mi¹¹/
* Hakka
** (Sixian, incl. Miaoli and Neipu)
*** Pha̍k-fa-sṳ: moi
*** Hakka Romanization System: moi
*** Hagfa Pinyim: moi$^4$
*** Sinological IPA: /moi̯⁵⁵/
** (Hailu, incl. Zhudong)
*** Hakka Romanization System: moi$^ˇ$
*** Sinological IPA: /moi¹¹/
** (Meixian)
*** Guangdong: moi$^4$
*** Sinological IPA: /moɪ⁵³/
* Jin
** (Taiyuan)
*** Wiktionary: mei$^3$
*** Sinological IPA (old-style): /mei⁴⁵/
* Northern Min
** (Jian'ou)
*** Kienning Colloquial Romanized: mṳē / mṳē$^{→mā̤}$
*** Sinological IPA : /myɛ⁵⁵/, /mɛ⁵⁵/
* Eastern Min
** (Fuzhou)
*** Bàng-uâ-cê: muói
*** Sinological IPA : /mui²¹³/
* Southern Min
** (Hokkien: Xiamen, Taipei, Magong, Hsinchu, Singapore)
*** Pe̍h-ōe-jī: bē
*** Tâi-lô: bē
*** Phofsit Daibuun: be
*** IPA (Xiamen, Singapore): /be²²/
*** IPA (Taipei): /be³³/
** (Hokkien: Quanzhou, Sanxia, Kinmen, Hsinchu, Singapore)
*** Pe̍h-ōe-jī: bēr
*** Tâi-lô: bēr
*** IPA (Quanzhou): /bə⁴¹/
*** IPA (Kinmen, Singapore): /bə²²/
** (Hokkien: Zhangzhou)
*** Pe̍h-ōe-jī: māi
*** Tâi-lô: māi
*** Phofsit Daibuun: mai
*** IPA (Zhangzhou): /mãi²²/
** (Hokkien: Kaohsiung, Tainan, Yilan, Taichung)
*** Pe̍h-ōe-jī: mōe
*** Tâi-lô: muē
*** Phofsit Daibuun: moe
*** IPA (Kaohsiung, Tainan, Yilan): /muẽ³³/
** (Hokkien: Lukang)
*** Pe̍h-ōe-jī: běr
*** Tâi-lô: běr
*** IPA (Lukang): /bə³³/
** (Hokkien: Xiamen)
*** Pe̍h-ōe-jī: bōe
*** Tâi-lô: buē
*** Phofsit Daibuun: boe
*** IPA (Xiamen): /bue²²/
** (Hokkien: Quanzhou)
*** Pe̍h-ōe-jī: mūi
*** Tâi-lô: muī
*** Phofsit Daibuun: mui
*** IPA (Quanzhou): /muĩ⁴¹/
** (Hokkien: Zhangzhou)
*** Pe̍h-ōe-jī: moāi
*** Tâi-lô: muāi
*** Phofsit Daibuun: moai
*** IPA (Zhangzhou): /muãi²²/
* Xiamen:
** bē - vernacular;
** bōe - literary.
* Quanzhou:
** bēr - vernacular;
** mūi - literary.
* Zhangzhou:
** māi - vernacular;
** moāi - literary.
* Middle Chinese: mwojH
Rime :
| Character | 妹 |
| Reading # | 1/1 |
| Initial (聲) | 明 (4) |
| Final (韻) | 灰 (42) |
| Tone (調) | Departing (H) |
| Openness (開合) | Closed |
| Division (等) | I |
| Fanqie | 莫佩切 |
| Baxter | mwojH |
| Reconstructions ||
| Zhengzhang Shangfang | /muʌi$^H$/ |
| Pan Wuyun | /muoi$^H$/ |
| Shao Rongfen | /muɒi$^H$/ |
| Edwin Pulleyblank | /mwəj$^H$/ |
| Li Rong | /muᴀi$^H$/ |
| Wang Li | /muɒi$^H$/ |
| Bernhard Karlgren | /muɑ̆i$^H$/ |
| Expected Mandarin Reflex | mèi |
| Expected Cantonese Reflex | mui$^6$ |
* Old Chinese
    (Baxter–Sagart): /*C.mˤə[t]-s/
    (Zhengzhang): /*mɯːds/
Baxter–Sagart system 1.1 (2014) :
| Character | 妹 |
| Reading # | 1/1 |
| Modern Beijing (Pinyin) | mèi |
| Middle Chinese | ‹ mwoj$^H$ › |
| Old Chinese | /*C.mˁə[t]-s/ |
| English | younger sister |
| Notes for Old Chinese notations in the Baxter–Sagart system: * Parentheses "" indicate uncertain presence; * Square brackets "" indicate uncertain identity, e.g. *[t] as coda may in fact be *-t or *-p; * Angle brackets "<>" indicate infix; * Hyphen "-" indicates morpheme boundary; * Period "." indicates syllable boundary. ||
Zhengzhang system (2003) :
| Character | 妹 |
| Reading # | 1/1 |
| No. | 12914 |
| Phonetic component | 未 |
| Rime group | 隊 |
| Rime subdivision | 1 |
| Corresponding MC rime | 妹 |
| Old Chinese | /*mɯːds/ |

### Definitions

妹
* younger sister
* girl; young female
* (Hakka) daughter
* a surname

#### Synonyms

| Variety | Location | Words |
| Classical Chinese | Classical Chinese | 妹, 女弟 |
| Formal (Written Standard Chinese) | Formal (Written Standard Chinese) | 妹妹 |
| Northeastern Mandarin | Beijing | 妹妹 |
| Northeastern Mandarin | Taiwan | 妹妹 |
| Northeastern Mandarin | Ulanhot | 老妹兒 |
| Northeastern Mandarin | Tongliao | 老妹兒 |
| Northeastern Mandarin | Chifeng | 妹妹 |
| Northeastern Mandarin | Hulunbuir (Hailar) | 老妹兒 |
| Northeastern Mandarin | Harbin | 妹妹, 妹子 |
| Northeastern Mandarin | Shenyang | 妹妹 |
| Northeastern Mandarin | Malaysia | 妹妹 |
| Northeastern Mandarin | Singapore | 妹妹 |
| Jilu Mandarin | Jinan | 妹妹 |
| Jiaoliao Mandarin | Yantai (Muping) | 妹 |
| Central Plains Mandarin | Luoyang | 妹 |
| Central Plains Mandarin | Wanrong | 妹子 |
| Central Plains Mandarin | Zhengzhou | 妹妹 |
| Central Plains Mandarin | Xi'an | 妹子, 妹妹 |
| Central Plains Mandarin | Xining | 妹子 |
| Central Plains Mandarin | Xuzhou | 妹妹 |
| Central Plains Mandarin | Sokuluk (Gansu Dungan) | 妹妹 |
| Lanyin Mandarin | Yinchuan | 妹妹 |
| Lanyin Mandarin | Bayanhot | 妹妹 |
| Lanyin Mandarin | Lanzhou | 妹妹 |
| Lanyin Mandarin | Ürümqi | 妹妹 |
| Southwestern Mandarin | Chengdu | 妹兒, 妹妹, 妹 |
| Southwestern Mandarin | Wuhan | 妹妹 |
| Southwestern Mandarin | Guiyang | 妹 |
| Southwestern Mandarin | Kunming | 妹子, 妹妹 |
| Southwestern Mandarin | Liuzhou | 妹子, 妹, 老妹 |
| Jianghuai Mandarin | Nanjing | 妹妹, 妹子 |
| Jianghuai Mandarin | Yangzhou | 妹妹 |
| Jianghuai Mandarin | Nantong | 妹子, 妹妹 |
| Jianghuai Mandarin | Hefei | 妹妹 |
| Jianghuai Mandarin | Huanggang | 妹兒 |
| Cantonese | Guangzhou | 妹妹, 細妹, 阿妹, 妹 |
| Cantonese | Hong Kong | 妹妹, 細妹, 阿妹, 妹 |
| Cantonese | Hong Kong (San Tin; Weitou) | 阿妹 |
| Cantonese | Hong Kong (Kam Tin; Weitou) | 妹 |
| Cantonese | Hong Kong (Ting Kok) | 阿妹 |
| Cantonese | Hong Kong (Tung Ping Chau) | 阿妹 |
| Cantonese | Macau | 妹 |
| Cantonese | Guangzhou (Panyu) | 細妹, 阿妹 |
| Cantonese | Guangzhou (Huashan, Huadu) | 妹 |
| Cantonese | Guangzhou (Conghua) | 妹 |
| Cantonese | Guangzhou (Zengcheng) | 阿妹 |
| Cantonese | Foshan | 細妹, 妹 |
| Cantonese | Foshan (Shatou, Nanhai) | 阿妹 |
| Cantonese | Foshan (Shunde) | 妹 |
| Cantonese | Foshan (Sanshui) | 妹 |
| Cantonese | Foshan (Mingcheng, Gaoming) | 妹子 |
| Cantonese | Zhongshan (Shiqi) | 妹 |
| Cantonese | Zhuhai (Qianshan, Xiangzhou) | 妹 |
| Cantonese | Zhuhai (Shangheng, Doumen; Tanka) | 阿妹 |
| Cantonese | Zhuhai (Doumen) | 阿妹 |
| Cantonese | Jiangmen (Baisha) | 阿妹 |
| Cantonese | Jiangmen (Xinhui) | 阿妹 |
| Cantonese | Taishan | 阿妹 |
| Cantonese | Kaiping (Chikan) | 阿妹 |
| Cantonese | Enping (Niujiang) | 阿妹 |
| Cantonese | Heshan (Yayao) | 妹 |
| Cantonese | Dongguan | 妹 |
| Cantonese | Shenzhen (Shajing, Bao'an) | 妹 |
| Cantonese | Shaoguan | 阿妹 |
| Cantonese | Yunfu | 阿妹 |
| Cantonese | Yangjiang | 小妹 |
| Cantonese | Xinyi | 老妹 |
| Cantonese | Lianjiang | 老妹, 阿妹 |
| Cantonese | Danzhou | 老姑 |
| Cantonese | Kuala Lumpur (Guangfu) | 阿妹 |
| Cantonese | Singapore (Guangfu) | 細妹, 阿妹, 妹 |
| Cantonese | Ho Chi Minh City (Guangfu) | 細妹 |
| Gan | Nanchang | 妹子 |
| Gan | Lichuan | 妹 |
| Gan | Pingxiang | 老妹, 妹老子 |
| Hakka | Meixian | 老妹, 老妹仔 |
| Hakka | Xingning | 老妹 |
| Hakka | Huizhou (Huicheng; Bendihua) | 老妹 |
| Hakka | Huiyang | 老妹 |
| Hakka | Huidong (Daling) | 老妹 |
| Hakka | Dongguan (Qingxi) | 老妹 |
| Hakka | Shenzhen (Shatoujiao) | 老妹 |
| Hakka | Zhongshan (Nanlang Heshui) | 老妹 |
| Hakka | Wuhua (Shuizhai) | 老妹 |
| Hakka | Wuhua (Huacheng) | 老妹 |
| Hakka | Wuhua (Changbu) | 老妹 |
| Hakka | Wuhua (Mianyang) | 老妹 |
| Hakka | Wuhua (Meilin) | 老妹 |
| Hakka | Heyuan (Bendihua) | 老妹 |
| Hakka | Wengyuan | 老妹 |
| Hakka | Shaoguan (Qujiang) | 老妹 |
| Hakka | Lianshan (Xiaosanjiang) | 老妹 |
| Hakka | Liannan | 老妹 |
| Hakka | Guangzhou (Lütian, Conghua) | 老妹 |
| Hakka | Jiexi | 老妹 |
| Hakka | Luhe | 老妹 |
| Hakka | Zhao'an (Xiuzhuan) | 阿妹 |
| Hakka | Changting | 老妹 |
| Hakka | Wuping | 老妹 |
| Hakka | Wuping (Yanqian) | 老妹子 |
| Hakka | Wuping (Pingyu) | 老妹 |
| Hakka | Liancheng | 老妹 |
| Hakka | Ninghua | 老妹 |
| Hakka | Yudu | 妹子 |
| Hakka | Ningdu | 妹 |
| Hakka | Ruijin | 老妹 |
| Hakka | Shicheng | 老妹, 妹 |
| Hakka | Shangyou (Shexi) | 老妹 |
| Hakka | Tonggu (Sandu) | 老妹 |
| Hakka | Ganzhou (Panlong) | 老妹 |
| Hakka | Dayu | 妹佬 |
| Hakka | Miaoli (N. Sixian) | 老妹 |
| Hakka | Pingtung (Neipu; S. Sixian) | 老妹 |
| Hakka | Hsinchu County (Zhudong; Hailu) | 老妹 |
| Hakka | Taichung (Dongshi; Dabu) | 老妹 |
| Hakka | Hsinchu County (Qionglin; Raoping) | 老妹 |
| Hakka | Yunlin (Lunbei; Zhao'an) | 阿妹 |
| Hakka | Hong Kong | 老妹 |
| Hakka | Yangxi (Tangkou) | 老妹 |
| Hakka | Yangchun (Sanjia) | 老妹 |
| Hakka | Xinyi (Sihe) | 老妹 |
| Hakka | Xinyi (Qianpai) | 老妹 |
| Hakka | Gaozhou (Xindong) | 老妹 |
| Hakka | Maoming (Shalang, Dianbai) | 老妹 |
| Hakka | Huazhou (Xin'an) | 老妹 |
| Hakka | Lianjiang (Shijiao) | 老妹 |
| Hakka | Lianjiang (Qingping) | 老妹 |
| Hakka | Mengshan (Xihe) | 老妹 |
| Hakka | Luchuan | 老妹 |
| Hakka | Sabah (Bao'an) | 老妹 |
| Hakka | Sabah (Longchuan) | 老妹 |
| Hakka | Senai (Huiyang) | 老妹 |
| Hakka | Sungai Tapang, Batu Kawa (Hepo) | 老妹 |
| Hakka | Singkawang | 阿妹, 老妹 |
| Huizhou | Jixi | 妹 |
| Huizhou | Shexian | 妹妹, 女妹 |
| Huizhou | Huangshan (Tunxi) | 令妹兒 |
| Huizhou | Xiuning | 令妹, 令妹兒 |
| Huizhou | Yixian | 奶妹兒 |
| Huizhou | Qimen | 妹吶 |
| Huizhou | Wuyuan | 女妹仂, 女妹, 妹 |
| Huizhou | Fuliang | 小妹, 妹哩 |
| Huizhou | Dexing | 妹子 |
| Jin | Taiyuan | 妹妹 |
| Jin | Pingyao | 妹妹, 妹子 |
| Jin | Xinzhou | 姊妹 |
| Jin | Taibus (Baochang) | 妹妹 |
| Jin | Linhe | 妹妹 |
| Jin | Jining | 妹妹 |
| Jin | Hohhot | 妹妹 |
| Jin | Baotou | 妹妹 |
| Jin | Dongsheng | 妹妹 |
| Jin | Haibowan | 妹妹 |
| Northern Min | Jian'ou | 妹仔 |
| Northern Min | Jian'ou (Dikou) | 妹仔 |
| Northern Min | Songxi | 妹仔 |
| Northern Min | Zhenghe | 妹 |
| Northern Min | Zhenghe (Zhenqian) | 妹 |
| Northern Min | Jianyang | 妹仔 |
| Northern Min | Wuyishan | 妹仔 |
| Northern Min | Pucheng (Shibei) | 妹仔 |
| Eastern Min | Fuzhou | 依妹, 妹 |
| Eastern Min | Fuzhou (Changle) | 依妹 |
| Eastern Min | Fuqing | 阿妹 |
| Eastern Min | Yongtai | 依妹 |
| Eastern Min | Gutian | 妹 |
| Eastern Min | Fu'an | 妹 |
| Eastern Min | Ningde | 妹 |
| Eastern Min | Shouning | 姊妹 |
| Eastern Min | Zhouning | 阿妹 |
| Eastern Min | Fuding | 阿妹 |
| Eastern Min | Matsu | 依妹 |
| Southern Min | Xiamen | 小妹, 阿妹 face-to-face |
| Southern Min | Quanzhou | 小妹, 阿妹 face-to-face |
| Southern Min | Zhangzhou | 小妹, 阿妹 face-to-face |
| Southern Min | Zhao'an | 細妹子 |
| Southern Min | Taipei | 小妹 |
| Southern Min | New Taipei (Sanxia) | 小妹 |
| Southern Min | Kaohsiung | 小妹 |
| Southern Min | Tainan | 小妹 |
| Southern Min | Kinmen | 小妹 |
| Southern Min | Penghu (Magong) | 小妹 |
| Southern Min | Penang (Hokkien) | 小妹 |
| Southern Min | Singapore (Hokkien) | 小妹, 阿妹 face-to-face |
| Southern Min | Manila (Hokkien) | 小妹 |
| Southern Min | Chaozhou | 阿妹 |
| Southern Min | Shantou | 妹 |
| Southern Min | Jieyang | 阿妹 |
| Southern Min | Haifeng | 妹, 妹妹, 阿妹 |
| Southern Min | Bangkok (Teochew) | 阿妹 |
| Southern Min | Johor Bahru (Teochew) | 阿妹 |
| Southern Min | Singapore (Teochew) | 阿妹 |
| Southern Min | Leizhou | 尼妹, 妹 |
| Southern Min | Wenchang | 姑𡠤 of a male, 姨𡠤 of a female |
| Southern Min | Haikou | 姑𡠤 of a male, 姨𡠤 of a female |
| Puxian Min | Putian | 阿妹 |
| Puxian Min | Xianyou | 阿妹, 小妹 |
| Zhongshan Min | Zhongshan (Longdu, Shaxi) | 妹 |
| Southern Pinghua | Nanning (Tingzi) | 妹 |
| Shehua | Fu'an | 妹 |
| Shehua | Fuding | 阿妹 |
| Shehua | Luoyuan | 妹 |
| Shehua | Sanming | 妹 |
| Shehua | Shunchang | 阿妹 |
| Shehua | Hua'an | 妹 |
| Shehua | Guixi (Zhangping) | 妹 |
| Shehua | Cangnan | 妹 |
| Shehua | Jingning (Hexi) | 妹 |
| Shehua | Lishui | 妹 |
| Shehua | Longyou | 妹 |
| Shehua | Chaozhou | 妹 |
| Shehua | Fengshun | 妹 |
| Wu | Shanghai | 阿妹, 妹妹, 姊妹 |
| Wu | Shanghai (Chongming) | 姊妹 |
| Wu | Suzhou | 妹子, 妹妹 |
| Wu | Wuxi | 妹子, 妹妹 |
| Wu | Danyang | 妹子 |
| Wu | Hangzhou | 阿妹, 妹妹 |
| Wu | Ningbo | 阿妹, 妹妹 |
| Wu | Wenzhou | 阿妹 |
| Wu | Jinhua | 妹, 妹妹 |
| Xiang | Changsha | 老妹, 妹妹 |
| Xiang | Xiangtan | 老妹 |
| Xiang | Loudi | 妹妹 |
| Xiang | Shuangfeng | 妹妹 |
| Xiang | Hengyang | 妹妹 |
| Variety | Location | Words |
| Formal (Written Standard Chinese) | Formal (Written Standard Chinese) | 女孩, 女孩子, 女童 |
| Northeastern Mandarin | Beijing | 女孩兒, 小女孩兒, 小姑娘, 小閨女, 小丫頭, 妞兒, 小妞兒, 女花兒 |
| Northeastern Mandarin | Taiwan | 女孩, 女孩子 |
| Northeastern Mandarin | Singapore | 女孩子 |
| Jilu Mandarin | Weifang (Weicheng) | 閨女兒, 小妮兒 |
| Jilu Mandarin | Weifang (Fangzi) | 小閨女 |
| Jilu Mandarin | Changle | 閨女, 妮兒 |
| Jilu Mandarin | Shouguang | 妮子 |
| Jilu Mandarin | Wulian | 識字班 |
| Jilu Mandarin | Jinan | 小閨女兒, 小妮兒 |
| Jiaoliao Mandarin | Weifang (Hanting) | 小閨女 |
| Jiaoliao Mandarin | Changyi | 閨女, 小嫚兒 |
| Jiaoliao Mandarin | Gaomi | 小嫚兒 |
| Jiaoliao Mandarin | Zhucheng | 小閨女子兒 |
| Jiaoliao Mandarin | Anqiu | 閨女 |
| Jiaoliao Mandarin | Linqu | 閨女 |
| Jiaoliao Mandarin | Qingzhou | 小閨女, 小閨妮兒 |
| Central Plains Mandarin | Kaifeng | 女孩兒 |
| Central Plains Mandarin | Xi'an | 女子娃, 女子, 女娃子 |
| Southwestern Mandarin | Chengdu | 女娃子, 女娃兒, 女娃娃 |
| Southwestern Mandarin | Wuhan | 女伢, 姑娘, 姑娘伢 |
| Southwestern Mandarin | Guilin | 女把爺 |
| Southwestern Mandarin | Guanyang | 妹崽家 |
| Southwestern Mandarin | Dagudi (Maliba) | 小姑娘 |
| Southwestern Mandarin | Reshuitang (Longling) | 小姑娘 |
| Southwestern Mandarin | Mae Salong (Lancang) | 小姑娘 |
| Southwestern Mandarin | Mae Sai (Tengchong) | 小姑娘 |
| Jianghuai Mandarin | Yangzhou | 女霞子 |
| Jianghuai Mandarin | Xinghua | 姑娘, 丫頭, 外家裡 |
| Jianghuai Mandarin | Hefei | 丫頭 |
| Mandarin | Nanping (Yanping) | 女子崽 |
| Cantonese | Guangzhou | 女仔, 細路女 child, 姑娘仔 |
| Cantonese | Hong Kong | 女仔, 細路女 child, 姑娘仔 |
| Cantonese | Hong Kong (Kam Tin; Weitou) | 女仔 |
| Cantonese | Macau | 女仔 |
| Cantonese | Guangzhou (Panyu) | 女仔 |
| Cantonese | Guangzhou (Zengcheng) | 女仔 |
| Cantonese | Foshan | 女仔 |
| Cantonese | Foshan (Shatou, Nanhai) | 女仔 |
| Cantonese | Foshan (Shunde) | 女仔 |
| Cantonese | Foshan (Sanshui) | 女仔 |
| Cantonese | Foshan (Mingcheng, Gaoming) | 女仔 |
| Cantonese | Zhongshan (Shiqi) | 女仔 |
| Cantonese | Zhuhai (Qianshan, Xiangzhou) | 女仔 |
| Cantonese | Zhuhai (Shangheng, Doumen; Tanka) | 女仔 |
| Cantonese | Zhuhai (Doumen) | 女仔 |
| Cantonese | Jiangmen (Baisha) | 女仔 |
| Cantonese | Jiangmen (Xinhui) | 女仔 |
| Cantonese | Taishan | 女仔, 細路女 child, 細民女 child |
| Cantonese | Kaiping (Chikan) | 女仔, 細佬女 child, 細民女 child |
| Cantonese | Enping (Niujiang) | 女仔 |
| Cantonese | Heshan (Yayao) | 女仔 |
| Cantonese | Dongguan | 女仔 |
| Cantonese | Shenzhen (Shajing, Bao'an) | 婦娘妹 |
| Cantonese | Qingyuan | 女仔 |
| Cantonese | Fogang | 女仔 |
| Cantonese | Yingde (Hanguang) | 女仔 |
| Cantonese | Yangshan | 妹仔 |
| Cantonese | Lianshan (Butian) | 妹仔兒 |
| Cantonese | Lianzhou (Qingshui; Sihui) | 女仔 |
| Cantonese | Shaoguan | 女仔 |
| Cantonese | Shaoguan (Qujiang) | 女仔, 妹仔 |
| Cantonese | Renhua | 女仔 |
| Cantonese | Lechang | 女仔 |
| Cantonese | Yangjiang | 妹, 妹仔 |
| Cantonese | Nanning | 女仔, 妹仔, 妹丁 |
| Cantonese | Dongxing | 妹仔 |
| Cantonese | Kuala Lumpur (Guangfu) | 女仔 |
| Cantonese | Singapore (Guangfu) | 女仔 |
| Gan | Nanchang | 女崽子 |
| Gan | Pengze | 女妹 |
| Hakka | Meixian | 細妹仔 |
| Hakka | Xingning | 細妹哩, 賠錢貨 † |
| Hakka | Huizhou (Huicheng; Bendihua) | 女仔 |
| Hakka | Huidong (Daling) | 阿僬妹仔 |
| Hakka | Dongguan (Qingxi) | 僬妹 |
| Hakka | Shenzhen (Shatoujiao) | 老妹仔 |
| Hakka | Zhongshan (Nanlang Heshui) | 女仔, 僬妹仔 |
| Hakka | Shaoguan (Qujiang) | 細妹子 |
| Hakka | Lianshan (Xiaosanjiang) | 細妹仔 |
| Hakka | Guangzhou (Lütian, Conghua) | 妹仔 |
| Hakka | Changting | 細妹子 |
| Hakka | Wuping | 細妹子 |
| Hakka | Wuping (Pingyu) | 細妹子 |
| Hakka | Liancheng | 妹子人 |
| Hakka | Ninghua | 女子薩 |
| Hakka | Ruijin | 女客子, 細女子 |
| Hakka | Shicheng | 細女女子 |
| Hakka | Miaoli (N. Sixian) | 細妹仔 |
| Hakka | Pingtung (Neipu; S. Sixian) | 細妹仔 |
| Hakka | Hsinchu County (Zhudong; Hailu) | 細妹仔 |
| Hakka | Taichung (Dongshi; Dabu) | 細妹 |
| Hakka | Hsinchu County (Qionglin; Raoping) | 細妹仔, 細妹 |
| Hakka | Yunlin (Lunbei; Zhao'an) | 妹子, 妹子人 |
| Jin | Taiyuan | 妮子, 女娃娃 |
| Northern Min | Jian'ou | 阿娘囝仔 |
| Eastern Min | Fuzhou | 諸娘囝 |
| Eastern Min | Matsu | 諸娘囝 |
| Southern Min | Xiamen | 查某囡仔 |
| Southern Min | Xiamen (Tong'an) | 查某囡仔 |
| Southern Min | Quanzhou | 查某囡仔 |
| Southern Min | Zhangzhou | 查某囡仔, 查某嬰 |
| Southern Min | Yunxiao | 查囡仔 |
| Southern Min | Taipei | 查某囡仔 |
| Southern Min | New Taipei (Sanxia) | 查某囡仔 |
| Southern Min | Kaohsiung | 查某囝 |
| Southern Min | Yilan | 查某囡仔 |
| Southern Min | Changhua (Lukang) | 查某囡仔 |
| Southern Min | Taichung | 查某囡仔 |
| Southern Min | Tainan | 查某囡仔 |
| Southern Min | Hsinchu | 查某囡仔 |
| Southern Min | Kinmen | 查某囡仔 |
| Southern Min | Penghu (Magong) | 查某囡仔 |
| Southern Min | Penang (Hokkien) | 查某囡仔 |
| Southern Min | Singapore (Hokkien) | 查某囡仔 |
| Southern Min | Manila (Hokkien) | 查某囡仔 |
| Southern Min | Chaozhou | 諸娘囝 |
| Southern Min | Shantou | 諸娘囝, 查某囝 |
| Southern Min | Shantou (Chenghai) | 諸娘囝 |
| Southern Min | Jieyang | 諸娘囝 |
| Southern Min | Lufeng | 查某囡仔 |
| Southern Min | Haifeng | 查某囡仔 |
| Southern Min | Johor Bahru (Teochew) | 查某囝 |
| Southern Min | Singapore (Teochew) | 查某囝 |
| Southern Min | Leizhou | 查某囝 |
| Southern Min | Wenchang | 查某囝 |
| Southern Min | Haikou | 查某囝 |
| Puxian Min | Putian | 嬸娘囝 |
| Puxian Min | Putian (Donghai, Chengxiang) | 嬸娘囝 |
| Puxian Min | Putian (Jiangkou, Hanjiang) | 嬸娘囝 |
| Puxian Min | Putian (Nanri, Xiuyu) | 嬸娘囝 |
| Puxian Min | Xianyou | 小娘囝 |
| Puxian Min | Xianyou (Fengting) | 小娘囝 |
| Puxian Min | Xianyou (Youyang) | 小娘囝 |
| Zhongshan Min | Zhongshan (Longdu, Shaxi) | 女囝 |
| Southern Pinghua | Nanning (Tingzi) | 姑娘 |
| Waxiang | Guzhang (Gaofeng) | 女子 |
| Wu | Shanghai | 女小囡, 小鬼丫頭 |
| Wu | Shanghai (Chongming) | 丫頭, 小娘 |
| Wu | Suzhou | 小娘兒, 女小干 |
| Wu | Ningbo | 小娘, 小娘屄, 小娘頭, 娘子 |
| Wu | Wenzhou | 女兒, 媛子兒 |
| Xiang | Changsha | 妹子, 細妹子, 妹伢子 |
| Xiang | Shuangfeng | 妹唧, 細妹唧 |
| Xiang | Hengyang | 妹唧 |
| Note | † - derogatory | † - derogatory |
| Variety | Location | Words |
| Classical Chinese | Classical Chinese | 女 |
| Formal (Written Standard Chinese) | Formal (Written Standard Chinese) | 女兒 |
| Northeastern Mandarin | Beijing | 女兒, 女花兒, 閨女, 姑娘, 丫頭 |
| Northeastern Mandarin | Taiwan | 女兒 |
| Northeastern Mandarin | Langfang | 閨妮 |
| Northeastern Mandarin | Hulunbuir (Hailar) | 女兒 |
| Northeastern Mandarin | Harbin | 女兒, 姑娘, 閨女, 閨娘, 丫頭 |
| Northeastern Mandarin | Shenyang | 姑娘, 丫頭 |
| Northeastern Mandarin | Malaysia | 女兒 |
| Northeastern Mandarin | Singapore | 女兒 |
| Jilu Mandarin | Tianjin | 女兒, 閨女, 小棉襖 humorous |
| Jilu Mandarin | Tangshan | 閨女 |
| Jilu Mandarin | Cangzhou | 閨女 |
| Jilu Mandarin | Baoding | 閨女 |
| Jilu Mandarin | Shijiazhuang | 閨女 |
| Jilu Mandarin | Weifang (Weicheng) | 閨女 |
| Jilu Mandarin | Weifang (Fangzi) | 閨女, 嫚兒 |
| Jilu Mandarin | Changle | 閨女兒 |
| Jilu Mandarin | Shouguang | 閨女 |
| Jilu Mandarin | Wulian | 閨女, 丫頭, 嫚兒, 識字班 |
| Jilu Mandarin | Jinan | 閨女 |
| Jiaoliao Mandarin | Yantai (Muping) | 閨娘, 閨娘子, 女兒 |
| Jiaoliao Mandarin | Qingdao | 閨女 |
| Jiaoliao Mandarin | Weifang (Hanting) | 閨女 |
| Jiaoliao Mandarin | Changyi | 閨女, 嫚姑子 |
| Jiaoliao Mandarin | Gaomi | 閨女, 嫚兒, 嫚兒姑子 |
| Jiaoliao Mandarin | Zhucheng | 閨女 |
| Jiaoliao Mandarin | Anqiu | 閨女 |
| Jiaoliao Mandarin | Linqu | 閨女 |
| Jiaoliao Mandarin | Qingzhou | 閨女 |
| Central Plains Mandarin | Daming | 妮兒 |
| Central Plains Mandarin | Wanrong | 女子 |
| Central Plains Mandarin | Zhengzhou | 閨女, 妞 |
| Central Plains Mandarin | Xi'an | 女, 女兒 |
| Central Plains Mandarin | Xining | 姑娘, 丫頭 |
| Central Plains Mandarin | Xuzhou | 女兒, 閨女 |
| Central Plains Mandarin | Sokuluk (Gansu Dungan) | 女兒, 姑娘兒 |
| Lanyin Mandarin | Yinchuan | 女兒, 丫頭 |
| Lanyin Mandarin | Bayanhot | 丫頭 |
| Lanyin Mandarin | Lanzhou | 女兒 |
| Lanyin Mandarin | Ürümqi | 女兒, 丫頭 |
| Southwestern Mandarin | Chengdu | 女兒, 女, 姑娘兒 |
| Southwestern Mandarin | Wuhan | 姑娘, 丫頭 |
| Southwestern Mandarin | Guiyang | 姑娘, 女娃娃, 女娃兒, 幺女, 幺姑娘, 小丫頭, 小姑娘 |
| Southwestern Mandarin | Kunming | 囡兒, 姑娘 |
| Southwestern Mandarin | Guilin | 女兒 |
| Southwestern Mandarin | Liuzhou | 女, 丫頭 |
| Southwestern Mandarin | Sanjiang (Danzhou) | 妹崽 |
| Jianghuai Mandarin | Nanjing | 女兒, 姑娘 |
| Jianghuai Mandarin | Yangzhou | 女兒, 姑娘 |
| Jianghuai Mandarin | Nantong | 丫頭 |
| Jianghuai Mandarin | Hefei | 女兒, 丫頭 |
| Jianghuai Mandarin | Huanggang | 女兒 |
| Cantonese | Guangzhou | 女 |
| Cantonese | Hong Kong | 女, 女女, 阿女 |
| Cantonese | Hong Kong (San Tin; Weitou) | 女, 妹仔 |
| Cantonese | Hong Kong (Kam Tin; Weitou) | 女 |
| Cantonese | Hong Kong (Ting Kok) | 阿女 |
| Cantonese | Hong Kong (Tung Ping Chau) | 阿女 |
| Cantonese | Macau | 女 |
| Cantonese | Guangzhou (Panyu) | 女 |
| Cantonese | Guangzhou (Huashan, Huadu) | 女 |
| Cantonese | Guangzhou (Conghua) | 女 |
| Cantonese | Guangzhou (Zengcheng) | 女 |
| Cantonese | Foshan | 女 |
| Cantonese | Foshan (Shatou, Nanhai) | 女 |
| Cantonese | Foshan (Shunde) | 女 |
| Cantonese | Foshan (Sanshui) | 女 |
| Cantonese | Foshan (Mingcheng, Gaoming) | 女 |
| Cantonese | Zhongshan (Shiqi) | 女 |
| Cantonese | Zhuhai (Qianshan, Xiangzhou) | 女 |
| Cantonese | Zhuhai (Shangheng, Doumen; Tanka) | 女 |
| Cantonese | Zhuhai (Doumen) | 女 |
| Cantonese | Jiangmen (Baisha) | 女 |
| Cantonese | Jiangmen (Xinhui) | 女 |
| Cantonese | Taishan | 女 |
| Cantonese | Kaiping (Chikan) | 女 |
| Cantonese | Enping (Niujiang) | 女 |
| Cantonese | Heshan (Yayao) | 女 |
| Cantonese | Dongguan | 女 |
| Cantonese | Shenzhen (Shajing, Bao'an) | 女 |
| Cantonese | Shenzhen (Dapeng) | 阿女 |
| Cantonese | Qingyuan | 女 |
| Cantonese | Fogang | 女 |
| Cantonese | Yingde (Hanguang) | 女 |
| Cantonese | Yangshan | 妹仔 |
| Cantonese | Lianshan (Butian) | 女 |
| Cantonese | Lianzhou (Qingshui; Sihui) | 女 |
| Cantonese | Shaoguan | 女 |
| Cantonese | Shaoguan (Qujiang) | 女 |
| Cantonese | Renhua | 女 |
| Cantonese | Lechang | 女 |
| Cantonese | Zhaoqing (Gaoyao) | 女 |
| Cantonese | Sihui | 女 |
| Cantonese | Guangning | 女 |
| Cantonese | Deqing | 女 |
| Cantonese | Huaiji | 女 |
| Cantonese | Fengkai (Nanfeng) | 女 |
| Cantonese | Yunfu | 女 |
| Cantonese | Xinxing | 女 |
| Cantonese | Luoding | 女 |
| Cantonese | Yunan (Pingtai) | 女 |
| Cantonese | Yangjiang | 桓仔, 妹仔 |
| Cantonese | Xinyi | 女 |
| Cantonese | Maoming (Xinpo) | 女 |
| Cantonese | Lianjiang | 女 |
| Cantonese | Wuchuan (Wuyang) | 康女兒, 夫娘儂 |
| Cantonese | Nanning | 女 |
| Cantonese | Wuzhou | 女 |
| Cantonese | Yulin | 女 |
| Cantonese | Hepu (Lianzhou) | 女 |
| Cantonese | Guiping | 女 |
| Cantonese | Mengshan (Xihe) | 女 |
| Cantonese | Guigang (Nanjiang) | 女 |
| Cantonese | Beiliu (Tangliao) | 女 |
| Cantonese | Baise | 女 |
| Cantonese | Bobai | 女 |
| Cantonese | Lingshan | 女 |
| Cantonese | Pubei | 女 |
| Cantonese | Qinzhou | 女 |
| Cantonese | Beihai | 女 |
| Cantonese | Beihai (Nankang) | 女 |
| Cantonese | Beihai (Yingpan) | 女 |
| Cantonese | Beihai (Qiaogang - Cô Tô) | 女, 妹仔 |
| Cantonese | Ningming | 女 |
| Cantonese | Hengzhou | 女 |
| Cantonese | Hezhou (Pumen, Babu) | 女仔 |
| Cantonese | Fangchenggang (Fangcheng) | 女 |
| Cantonese | Danzhou | 女 |
| Cantonese | Kuala Lumpur (Guangfu) | 女 |
| Cantonese | Singapore (Guangfu) | 女 |
| Cantonese | Ho Chi Minh City (Guangfu) | 女 |
| Cantonese | Móng Cái | 女 |
| Gan | Nanchang | 女, 姑娘 |
| Gan | Lichuan | 女 |
| Gan | Pingxiang | 女, 妹仔 |
| Hakka | Meixian | 妹仔 |
| Hakka | Xingning | 妹哩 |
| Hakka | Dabu (Xihe) | 妹兒, 女 |
| Hakka | Huizhou (Huicheng; Bendihua) | 阿女 |
| Hakka | Huiyang | 妹子 |
| Hakka | Huidong (Daling) | 妹仔 |
| Hakka | Dongguan (Qingxi) | 妹主 |
| Hakka | Shenzhen (Shatoujiao) | 妹主 |
| Hakka | Zhongshan (Nanlang Heshui) | 妹子 |
| Hakka | Wuhua (Shuizhai) | 妹哩 |
| Hakka | Wuhua (Huacheng) | 妹哩 |
| Hakka | Wuhua (Changbu) | 妹哩 |
| Hakka | Wuhua (Mianyang) | 妹哩 |
| Hakka | Heyuan (Bendihua) | 阿女 |
| Hakka | Wengyuan | 妹子 |
| Hakka | Shaoguan (Qujiang) | 妹子 |
| Hakka | Lianshan (Xiaosanjiang) | 妹仔 |
| Hakka | Liannan | 妹子 |
| Hakka | Guangzhou (Lütian, Conghua) | 女 |
| Hakka | Jiexi | 妹 |
| Hakka | Luhe | 妹仔, 阿女 |
| Hakka | Zhao'an (Xiuzhuan) | 阿女 |
| Hakka | Changting | 妹子, 女 |
| Hakka | Wuping | 妹子 |
| Hakka | Wuping (Yanqian) | 女哩 |
| Hakka | Wuping (Pingyu) | 妹子 |
| Hakka | Liancheng | 妹子娘 |
| Hakka | Ninghua | 女 |
| Hakka | Yudu | 女, 女子 |
| Hakka | Ningdu | 女 |
| Hakka | Ruijin | 女, 女子 |
| Hakka | Shicheng | 女 |
| Hakka | Shangyou (Shexi) | 女 |
| Hakka | Tonggu (Sandu) | 妹子 |
| Hakka | Ganzhou (Panlong) | 女 |
| Hakka | Dayu | 女哩 |
| Hakka | Miaoli (N. Sixian) | 妹仔, 妹子 |
| Hakka | Pingtung (Neipu; S. Sixian) | 妹仔, 妹子 |
| Hakka | Hsinchu County (Zhudong; Hailu) | 妹仔, 妹子 |
| Hakka | Taichung (Dongshi; Dabu) | 妹, 妹子, 細妹 |
| Hakka | Hsinchu County (Qionglin; Raoping) | 妹仔, 妹子 |
| Hakka | Yunlin (Lunbei; Zhao'an) | 阿女 |
| Hakka | Hong Kong | 妹子 |
| Hakka | Yangxi (Tangkou) | 妹子 |
| Hakka | Yangchun (Sanjia) | 女 |
| Hakka | Xinyi (Sihe) | 女 |
| Hakka | Xinyi (Qianpai) | 女 |
| Hakka | Gaozhou (Xindong) | 女 |
| Hakka | Maoming (Shalang, Dianbai) | 女 |
| Hakka | Huazhou (Xin'an) | 女子 |
| Hakka | Lianjiang (Shijiao) | 妹𧊅, 女子 |
| Hakka | Lianjiang (Qingping) | 女 |
| Hakka | Mengshan (Xihe) | 妹子 |
| Hakka | Luchuan | 女 |
| Hakka | Luchuan (Daqiao) | 女 |
| Hakka | Bobai (Shahe) | 女 |
| Hakka | Beiliu (Tang'an) | 妹 |
| Hakka | Mashan (Pianlian) | 妹子 |
| Hakka | Sabah (Bao'an) | 妹子 |
| Hakka | Sabah (Longchuan) | 妹哩 |
| Hakka | Kuala Lumpur (Dabu) | 妹 |
| Hakka | Senai (Huiyang) | 妹子 |
| Hakka | Singkawang | 妹子 |
| Huizhou | Jixi | 女 |
| Huizhou | Shexian | 女 |
| Huizhou | Huangshan (Tunxi) | 囡, 囡囝 |
| Huizhou | Xiuning | 囡兒 |
| Huizhou | Yixian | 囡兒 |
| Huizhou | Qimen | 女, 女兒 |
| Huizhou | Wuyuan | 女, 女兒, 囡 |
| Huizhou | Fuliang | 女崽 |
| Huizhou | Dexing | 𡚴姑 |
| Huizhou | Jingde | 女伲 |
| Huizhou | Shitai (Xianyu) | 女兒 |
| Jin | Taiyuan | 閨女, 姑娘, 妮子 |
| Jin | Pingyao | 閨女, 女子 |
| Jin | Xinzhou | 閨女 |
| Jin | Hohhot | 閨女, 女子 |
| Jin | Zhangjiakou | 閨女 |
| Jin | Handan | 閨女 |
| Northern Min | Jian'ou | 阿娘囝 |
| Northern Min | Jian'ou (Dikou) | 娘囝 |
| Northern Min | Songxi | 阿娘囝 |
| Northern Min | Zhenghe | 阿娘囝 |
| Northern Min | Zhenghe (Zhenqian) | 娘囝 |
| Northern Min | Jianyang | 阿娘囝 |
| Northern Min | Wuyishan | 阿娘囝 |
| Northern Min | Pucheng (Shibei) | 阿娘囝 |
| Eastern Min | Fuzhou | 諸娘囝 |
| Eastern Min | Fuzhou (Changle) | 諸娘囝 |
| Eastern Min | Fuqing | 諸娘囝 |
| Eastern Min | Yongtai | 諸娘囝 |
| Eastern Min | Gutian | 諸娘囝 |
| Eastern Min | Pingnan | 諸娘囝 |
| Eastern Min | Fu'an | 諸娘囝 |
| Eastern Min | Ningde | 諸母囝 |
| Eastern Min | Shouning | 諸母囝 |
| Eastern Min | Zhouning | 諸娘囝 |
| Eastern Min | Fuding | 諸母囝 |
| Eastern Min | Matsu | 諸娘囝 |
| Southern Min | Xiamen | 查某囝, 查某仔 |
| Southern Min | Quanzhou | 查某仔 |
| Southern Min | Yongchun | 查某囝 |
| Southern Min | Zhangzhou | 查某仔, 灶雞 |
| Southern Min | Zhangzhou (Changtai) | 查某仔 |
| Southern Min | Pinghe | 查某囝, 查某仔 Xiazhai, Jiufeng, Luxi |
| Southern Min | Zhangpu | 查某仔 |
| Southern Min | Dongshan | 查囝 |
| Southern Min | Taipei | 查某囝 |
| Southern Min | New Taipei (Sanxia) | 查某囝 |
| Southern Min | Kaohsiung | 查某囡仔, 查某囝 |
| Southern Min | Yilan | 查某囝 |
| Southern Min | Changhua (Lukang) | 查某囝 |
| Southern Min | Taichung | 查某囝 |
| Southern Min | Taichung (Wuqi) | 查某囝 |
| Southern Min | Tainan | 查某囝 |
| Southern Min | Taitung | 查某囝 |
| Southern Min | Hsinchu | 查某囝 |
| Southern Min | Kinmen | 查某囡仔 |
| Southern Min | Penghu (Magong) | 查某囝 |
| Southern Min | Penang (Hokkien) | 查某囝, 查某仔 |
| Southern Min | Singapore (Hokkien) | 查某囝 |
| Southern Min | Manila (Hokkien) | 查某仔, 查某囝 |
| Southern Min | Longyan | 查某仔 |
| Southern Min | Zhangping | 查某仔 |
| Southern Min | Zhangping (Yongfu) | 查某仔 |
| Southern Min | Datian | 阿使 |
| Southern Min | Pingnan (Shangdu) | 女 |
| Southern Min | Chaozhou | 走囝 |
| Southern Min | Shantou | 走囝 |
| Southern Min | Shantou (Chenghai) | 走囝 |
| Southern Min | Jieyang | 走囝 |
| Southern Min | Haifeng | 查某囝 |
| Southern Min | Bangkok (Teochew) | 走囝 |
| Southern Min | Johor Bahru (Teochew) | 走囝 |
| Southern Min | Singapore (Teochew) | 查某囝, 走囝 |
| Southern Min | Batam (Teochew) | 查某囝, 走囝 |
| Southern Min | Pontianak (Teochew) | 查某囝 |
| Southern Min | Leizhou | 查某囝 |
| Southern Min | Wenchang | 查某囝 |
| Southern Min | Haikou | 查某囝, 查囝 |
| Southern Min | Qionghai | 查某囝 |
| Puxian Min | Putian | 嬸娘囝 |
| Puxian Min | Xianyou | 子囝 |
| Central Min | Yong'an | 娘囝 |
| Zhongshan Min | Zhongshan (Longdu, Shaxi) | 中母囝 |
| Southern Pinghua | Nanning (Tingzi) | 女 |
| Northern Pinghua | Guilin (Dahe) | 女 |
| Shehua | Fu'an | 女 |
| Shehua | Fuding | 女 |
| Shehua | Luoyuan | 女 |
| Shehua | Sanming | 女 |
| Shehua | Shunchang | 女 |
| Shehua | Hua'an | 妹仔 |
| Shehua | Guixi (Zhangping) | 女 |
| Shehua | Cangnan | 女 |
| Shehua | Jingning (Hexi) | 女 |
| Shehua | Lishui | 女 |
| Shehua | Longyou | 女 |
| Shehua | Chaozhou | 女 |
| Shehua | Fengshun | 女 |
| Wu | Shanghai | 囡兒, 囡 dated, 囡兒大細 dated, 小鬼丫頭 endearing |
| Wu | Shanghai (Chongming) | 丫頭 |
| Wu | Suzhou | 囡兒 |
| Wu | Wuxi | 囡兒 |
| Wu | Danyang | 女兒 |
| Wu | Hangzhou | 女兒 |
| Wu | Ningbo | 囡 |
| Wu | Wenzhou | 奶兒 |
| Wu | Jinhua | 囡兒, 囡, 女兒 |
| Xiang | Changsha | 女, 妹子 |
| Xiang | Xiangtan | 女, 妹唧 |
| Xiang | Loudi | 女 |
| Xiang | Shuangfeng | 女 |
| Xiang | Quanzhou | 女崽 |
| Xiangnan Tuhua | Jiangyong | 女 |

### Compounds

* 乾妹妹 / 干妹妹
* 令妹 (lìngmèi)
* 伊妹 (yīmèi)
* 伊妹兒 / 伊妹儿 (yīmèir, “(humorous, obsolete) email”)
* 你妹 (nǐmèi, “(Mandarin) my arse”)
* 兄妹 (xiōngmèi)
* 兄弟姐妹 (xiōngdì jiěmèi, “brothers and sisters”)
* 內妹 / 内妹
* 十姊妹 (shízǐmèi)
* 嘉麗妹妹 / 嘉丽妹妹
* 堂妹 (tángmèi)
* 堂姊妹
* 大陸妹 / 大陆妹 (dàlùmèi)
* 太妹 (tàimèi)
* 女妹
* 妹丈 (mèizhàng)
* 妹仔
* 妹夫 (mèifū)
* 妹妹 (“younger sister”)
* 姊妹 (“sisters”)
* 姐妹 (jiěmèi, “sisters”)
* 妻姊妹婚
* 姊妹市 (zǐmèishì)
* 姊妹校
* 姊妹盟
* 姐妹花 (jiěmèihuā)
* 姊妹行
* 妹婿 (mèixù)
* 妹子 (mèizi)
* 妹紙 / 妹纸 (mèizhǐ)
* 姨妹 (yímèi)
* 學生妹 / 学生妹
* 小妹 (xiǎomèi, “(Min Nan) younger sister”)
* 師妹 / 师妹 (shīmèi)
* 弟妹 (dìmèi)
* 恐龍妹 / 恐龙妹 (kǒnglóngmèi)
* 手帕姊妹
* 把妹 (bǎmèi)
* 架妹
* 歸妹 / 归妹 (guīmèi)
* 祭妹文
* 細妹 / 细妹 (“(dialectal) younger sister”)
* 老姐妹兒 / 老姐妹儿
* 胞妹 (bāomèi)
* 胞姊妹
* 花小妹
* 蘇小妹 / 苏小妹
* 蜆妹 / 蚬妹
* 表妹 (biǎomèi)
* 表姐妹 (biǎojiěmèi)
* 賓妹 / 宾妹
* 辣妹 (làmèi, “hot babe”)
* 酷妹
* 鍾馗嫁妹 / 钟馗嫁妹
* 阿妹 (āmèi, “(Wu) younger sister”)
* 香火姊妹
* 鬼妹 (guǐmèi, “(Cantonese) a Caucasian girl”)
* 鹹水妹 / 咸水妹 (xiánshuǐmèi)

### Descendants

* → Khmer: មួយ (muəy, “you”) (used with people of Chinese ethnicity)
* → Thai: หมวย (mǔai, “younger sister”) (said by Chinese ethnicity)

### References

* “妹”, in 漢語多功能字庫 (Multi-function Chinese Character Database)‎, 香港中文大學 (the Chinese University of Hong Kong), 2014–

## Japanese
### Kanji

(Second grade kyōiku kanji)

#### Readings

* Go-on: まい (mai, Jōyō)、め (me)
* Kan-on: ばい (bai)
* Kun: いもうと (imōto, 妹, Jōyō)、いも (imo, 妹)、いもと (imoto, 妹)
* Nanori: せ (se)

#### Compounds

* 貴(き)妹(まい) (kimai)
* 愚(ぐ)妹(まい) (gumai)
* 兄(けい)妹(まい) (keimai)
* 実(じつ)妹(まい) (jitsumai)
* 姉(し)妹(まい) (shimai), 姉(きょう)妹(だい) (kyōdai)
* 従(じゅう)妹(まい) (jūmai)
* 叔(しゅく)妹(まい) (shukumai)
* 小(しょう)妹(まい), 少(しょう)妹(まい) (shōmai)
* 弟(てい)妹(まい) (teimai)
* 亡妹(ぼうまい) (bōmai)
* 末(まつ)妹(まい) (matsumai)
* 令妹(れいまい) (reimai)
* 十(ジュウ)姉妹(シマツ) (jūshimatsu)
* 妹(せの)尾(お) (Senō)

### Etymology 1

* Kanji in this term
* 妹
* いも Grade: 2
* kun'yomi
⟨imo$_1$⟩ → */imʷo/ → /imo/
From Old Japanese 妹 (imo$_1$). First cited in the Kojiki of 712.
Speculatively, may be related to terms such as 女 (me$_1$, womi$_1$na, “woman”), 嫗 (omi$_1$na, “elderly woman”), and 母 (omo, “mother”), wherein the medial /-m-/ appears to signify woman, female. However, the difference in vowel values presents a difficulty.

#### Pronunciation

* (Tokyo) いも [íꜜmò] (Atamadaka – [1])
* IPA: [imo̞]

#### Noun

妹(いも) • (imo)
* (archaic, said from a male speaker) a close female companion
** one's sister regardless of age difference
** one's lover or sweetheart who is the subject of marriage or is already married
*** 905–914, Kokin Wakashū (book 11, poem 485)
    かりごもの思(おも)ひ乱(みだ)れて我(われ)恋(こ)ふといも知(し)るらめや人(ひと)し告(つ)げずは
       karigomo no omoimidarete ware kou to imo shirurame ya hito shi tsugezu wa
       (please add an English translation of this example)
* (archaic, said from a female speaker) a close female companion

##### Antonyms

* 兄(せ) (se, “close male companion, man”)

##### Derived terms

* 妹(いもうと) (imōto, “one's younger sister”)
* 妹(いも)が績(う)む (imo ga umu, pillow word)
* 妹(いも)姑(しゅうとめ) (imo-shūtome)
* 妹(いも)兄(せ), 妹(いも)背(せ) (imose)
* 妹山(いもやま) (imoyama)

### Etymology 2

* Kanji in this term
* 妹
* いもうと Grade: 2
* kun'yomi
/imo ɸito/ → /imowito/ → */imowuto/ → /imoːto/
Originally a compound of 妹 (imo, “sister, close female companion”) +‎ 人 (hito, “person”). First cited in The Tales of Ise of the early 900s.
This is an instance of ウ音便 (u onbin, “u sound shift”), found in terms with bilabial consonants (/m/, /b/, /w/) followed by i; commonly seen in terms such as 玄人 (kurōto, “professional”), 素人 (shirōto, “amateur”), or possibly, 相撲 (sumō, “sumo”).

#### Pronunciation

* (Tokyo) いもーと [ìmóótóꜜ] (Odaka – [4])
* IPA: [imo̞ːto̞]

#### Noun

妹(いもうと) • (imōto)
* one's own younger sister
    Antonym: 姉 (ane, “older sister”)
** 2005 January 10, Izawa, Hiroshi with Yamada, Kotaro, “第(だい)34話(わ)　復(ふく)讐(しゅう)の槍(やり) [Chapter 34: The Lance of Vengeance]”, in ファイアーエムブレム 覇者の剣 [Fire Emblem: Sword of Champions], volume 9 (fiction), Tokyo: Shueisha, →ISBN, page 60:
    妹(いもうと)の仇(かたき)だ！何(なん)万(まん)人(にん)だろうが地(じ)獄(ごく)へ送(おく)ってやる‼
       Imōto no kataki da! Nanmannin darō ga jigoku e okutte yaru‼
       This is for my sister! Keep coming, all of you! I’ll send you all straight to hell‼
** 2014 January 17, Ōima Yoshitoki, “第(だい)14話(わ)　西(にし)宮(みや)結(ゆ)絃(づる) [Chapter 14: Nishimiya Yuzuru]”, in 聲(こえ)の形(かたち) [A Silent Voice], volume 2 (fiction), Tokyo: Kodansha, →ISBN, page 60:
    永(なが)束(つか)君(くん)　「少(しょう)年(ねん)」じゃない…西(にし)宮(みや)の妹(いもうと)だってよ
       Nagatsuka-kun “Shōnen” ja nai… Nishimiya no imōto da tte yo
       Nagatsuka-kun. That's not a "boy"… Nishimiya said that's her sister.
* the wife of one's younger brother; one's sister-in-law
    Synonym: 義妹 (gimai)
* a younger female
* (archaic, said from a male speaker) one's sister regardless of age difference
    Antonym: 兄人 (shōto)
(alternative reading hiragana いもっ, rōmaji imo')
* (Kagoshima) younger sister

##### Derived terms

* 妹(いもうと)御(ご) (imōto-go)
* 妹(いもうと)女(じょ)郎(ろう) (imōto jorō)
* 妹(いもうと)分(ぶん) (imōtobun)
* 妹(いもうと)婿(むこ), 妹(いもうと)聟(むこ) (imōto-muko)
* 弟(おと)妹(いもうと), 小(おと)妹(いもうと) (oto-imōto)

### Etymology 3

* Kanji in this term
* 妹
* いもと Grade: 2
* kun'yomi
Analyzed as a shortening of imōto, itself a compound 妹 (imo, “sister, close female companion”) +‎ 人 (hito, “person”).
Appears in The Tale of Heiji, written around the mid-12th century. May be much older, as this reading is also included in kun'yomi glosses for the Nihon Shoki of 720 (although the manuscripts with the glosses themselves are not as old).

#### Noun

妹(いもと) • (imoto)
* (rare) Synonym of 妹 (imōto, “one's own younger sister”)

#### Proper noun

妹(いもと) • (Imoto)
* a placename

### Etymology 4

* Kanji in this term
* 妹
* まい Grade: 2
* goon
From Middle Chinese 妹 (MC mwojH).

#### Affix

妹(まい) • (mai)
* one's own younger sister

#### Proper noun

妹(まい) • (Mai)
* a female given name

### References

* 1 2 3 4 5 6 “妹”, in 日本国語大辞典 [Nihon Kokugo Daijiten]‎ (in Japanese), concise edition, Tokyo: Shogakukan, 2006
* 1 2 3 Kindaichi, Kyōsuke et al., editors (1997), 新明解国語辞典 [Shin Meikai Kokugo Jiten] (in Japanese), Fifth edition, Tokyo: Sanseidō, →ISBN
* 1 2 3 4 Matsumura, Akira, editor (2006), 大辞林 [Daijirin] (in Japanese), Third edition, Tokyo: Sanseidō, →ISBN
* 1 2 “妹”, in デジタル大辞泉 [Digital Daijisen]‎ (in Japanese), Tōkyō: Shogakukan, updated roughly every four months
* ↑ NHK Broadcasting Culture Research Institute, editor (1998), NHK日本語発音アクセント辞典 [NHK Japanese Pronunciation Accent Dictionary] (in Japanese), Tokyo: NHK Publishing, Inc., →ISBN
* ↑ Shinmura, Izuru, editor (1998), 広辞苑 [Kōjien] (in Japanese), Fifth edition, Tokyo: Iwanami Shoten, →ISBN

## Korean
### Hanja

妹 (eumhun 누이 매 (nu'i mae))
* hanja form of 매 (“younger sister”)

## Old Japanese
### Etymology 1

Speculatively, may be related to terms such as 女 (me$_1$, womi$_1$na, “woman”), 嫗 (omi$_1$na, “elderly woman”), and 母 (omo$_1$, “mother”), wherein the medial /-m-/ appears to signify woman, female. However, the difference in vowel values presents a difficulty.

#### Noun

妹 (imo$_1$ → imo) (kana いも)
* said from a male speaker:
** one's sister regardless of age difference
*** c. 759, Man’yōshū, book 6, poem 1007:, text here
    言不問木尚妹與兄有云乎直獨子尓有之苦者ko$_2$to$_2$ to$_1$panu ki$_2$ sura imo to$_2$ se ari to$_2$ ipu wo tada pi$_1$to$_2$riko$_1$ ni aru ga kurusisa(please add an English translation of this usage example)
** one's lover or sweetheart who is the subject of marriage or is already married
*** c. 759, Man’yōshū, book 3, poem 464:, text here
    秋去者見乍思跡妹之殖之屋前乃石竹開家流香聞aki$_1$ saraba mi$_1$tutu sino$_1$pe$_1$ to$_2$ imo ga uwesi nipa no$_2$ nadesiko$_1$ saki$_1$nike$_1$ru ka mo(please add an English translation of this usage example)
* said from a female speaker:
** a close female companion
*** c. 759, Man’yōshū, book 4, poem 782:, text here
    風高邊者雖吹為妹袖左倍所沾而苅流玉藻焉kaze takaku pe$_1$ ni pa pukedo$_2$mo imo ga tame$_2$ so$_1$de sape$_2$ nurete kareru tamamo so$_2$(please add an English translation of this usage example)
** one's sister regardless of age difference
* a daughter
** 711–712, Kojiki, poem 51:...母登弊波岐美袁淤母比傅須恵幣波伊毛袁淤母比傅......mo$_2$to$_2$pe$_1$ pa ki$_1$mi$_1$ wo omo$_2$pi$_1$de suwepe$_1$ pa imo$_1$ wo omo$_2$pi$_1$de...(please add an English translation of this quotation)

##### Antonyms

* 兄 (se)

##### Derived terms

* 妹ら (imora)
* 妹が家に (imo ga ipe$_1$ ni, pillow word)
* 妹が髪 (imo ga *kami, pillow word)
* 妹が着る (imo ga ki$_1$ru, pillow word)
* 妹が袖 (imo ga so$_1$de, pillow word)
* 妹が手を (imo ga te wo, pillow word)
* 妹が紐 (imo ga pi$_1$mo, pillow word)
* 妹が目を (imo ga me$_2$ wo, pillow word)
* 妹許 (imogari)
* 妹に恋ひ (imo ni ko$_1$pi$_2$, pillow word)
* 汝妹 (nanimo$_1$)
* 継妹 (mamaimo$_1$)
* 吾妹 (wagi$_1$mo$_1$)

##### Descendants

* Japanese: 妹 (imo)

### Etymology 2

Shortening of imo$_1$, due possibly to poetic reasons, haplology, or a reduction of vowel clusters to avoid hiatus, which was phonologically prohibited in Old Japanese. This hiatus avoidance is also seen in 吾妹 (wagi$_1$mo$_1$), which would otherwise have been wa ga imo$_1$.

#### Noun

妹 (mo$_1$ → mo) (kana も)
* same as いも (imo$_1$) above
** c. 759, Man’yōshū, book 20, poem 4388:, text here
    多妣等弊等麻多妣爾奈理奴以弊乃母加枳世之己呂母爾阿加都枳爾迦理tabi$_1$ to$_2$ pe$_1$do$_2$ ma-tabi$_1$ ni narinu ipe$_1$ no$_2$ mo ga ki$_1$sesi ko$_2$ro$_2$mo ni aka tuki$_1$nikari(please add an English translation of this usage example)

### Etymology 3

Eastern dialectal variant of imo$_1$.

#### Noun

妹 (imu) (kana いむ)
* (regional, Eastern Old Japanese) Same as いも (imo$_1$) above
** c. 759, Man’yōshū, book 20, poem 4321:, text here
    可之古伎夜美許等加我布理阿須由利也加曳我牟多祢牟伊牟奈之爾志弖kasiko$_1$ki$_1$ ya mi$_1$-ko$_2$to$_2$ kagapuri asu yuri ya kaye ga muta nemu imu nasi ni site(please add an English translation of this usage example)

### References

* 1 2 3 “妹”, in 日本国語大辞典 [Nihon Kokugo Daijiten]‎ (in Japanese), concise edition, Tokyo: Shogakukan, 2006
* ↑ “妹”, in デジタル大辞泉 [Digital Daijisen]‎ (in Japanese), Tōkyō: Shogakukan, updated roughly every four months
* ↑ Shinmura, Izuru, editor (1998), 広辞苑 [Kōjien] (in Japanese), Fifth edition, Tokyo: Iwanami Shoten, →ISBN

## Vietnamese
### Han character

妹: Hán Nôm readings: muội
* This term needs a translation to English. Please help out and add a translation, then remove the text {{rfdef}}.