hermana mayor
/eɾmana maʝoɾ/from spelling rules
In Spanish, big sister is hermana mayor.
Hermana mayor is the most common way to say big sister in Spanish. It refers to a female sibling who is older than another person.
What does it mean word for word?
The phrase is composed of hermana (sister) and mayor (older/bigger).
Which one should you use?
To say little sister (younger sister), you use hermana menor instead of hermana mayor.
How does it change in a sentence?
When referring to multiple big sisters, both the noun and the adjective must be pluralized as hermanas mayores.
How do you pronounce it?
/eɾmana maʝoɾ/
Did you know?
- In many Spanish-speaking cultures, the hermana mayor often takes on a protective or quasi-parental role called maternar, where she helps raise her younger siblings.
- The word hermana is a distant linguistic cousin to the English word 'germane', meaning relevant or closely related.
- If you were talking about a 'big sister' in terms of physical size (a giant sister), you would likely use hermana grande instead of hermana mayor.
Examples in context
- Tengo más faldas que mi hermana mayor.I have more skirts than my big sister.This sentence is useful for comparing possessions with your hermana mayor.Tatoeba #5115414 by helpa, translation #5170143 by Lindoula
- Mi hermana mayor corre todos los días.My big sister runs every day.This sentence is useful for describing the daily habits of your hermana mayor.Tatoeba #10879700 by Shishir, translation #11267485 by Luornu
- Mi hermana mayor es muy inteligente.My big sister is very intelligent.
- Le estoy muy agradecido a mi hermana mayor de sangre por siempre apoyarme.I am very grateful to my big sister by blood for always supporting me.
- Ella no es mi hermana biológica, pero es mi hermana mayor de corazón.She's not my biological sister, but she's like a big sister to me.
- En mi familia, a mi hermana mayor le dicen 'la jefa'.In my family, they call my big sister 'the boss.'
- Mi hermana mayor vive en Madrid.My big sister lives in Madrid.
Example conversation
Lucía and Javier are talking about their families at a cafe.
- Lucía¿Tienes hermanos o hermanas?Do you have brothers or sisters?
- JavierSí, tengo una hermana mayor.Yes, I have a big sister.
- Lucía¡Qué bien! ¿Cómo es ella?That's great! What is she like?
- JavierElla es muy inteligente y simpática.She is very intelligent and nice.
Sources
- IPA marked “from spelling rules” is derived from standard Spanish spelling, where Wiktionary gives none.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
