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older sister?
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Yes, you can exchange these two words to express the meaning of “姐姐”。
In comparisons between two persons, "elder" means "older" but not necessarily "old": Example: My elder sister is sixteen; my younger, twelve.
"Eldest" is used when 3 or more people are compared: Example: He is the eldest of 4 brothers.
In other contexts 'elder' denotes relatively advanced age, but with the added component of respect for a person's achievement, eg 'an elder statesman'.
If age alone is to be expressed, one should use older or elderly rather than elder:
Example: A survey of older Americans or an elderly waiter.·
Unlike 'elder' and its related forms, the adjectives old, older, and oldest are applied to things as well as to persons.
"Eldest" is used when 3 or more people are compared: Example: He is the eldest of 4 brothers.
In other contexts 'elder' denotes relatively advanced age, but with the added component of respect for a person's achievement, eg 'an elder statesman'.
If age alone is to be expressed, one should use older or elderly rather than elder:
Example: A survey of older Americans or an elderly waiter.·
Unlike 'elder' and its related forms, the adjectives old, older, and oldest are applied to things as well as to persons.
In America, most native speakers would say "older sister". "Elder sister" is used in literature quite often but in terms of informal speaking, "older sister" is used more commonly.
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