How to Say "Half Sister" in French

demi-sœur

/də.mi.sœʁ/feminine

The English phrase "half sister" is translated into French as demi-sœur.

demi-sœur is a feminine noun used to describe a female half-sibling.

Meaning: a female half sibling (noun)

What does it mean word for word?

The term is composed of demi- (half) and sœur (sister).

To form the plural, add an 's' to the second part of the compound word to get demi-sœurs.

/də.mi.sœʁ/

French uses the prefix demi- for people, but for 'half-siblings' in a general sense, the term germain describes full siblings who share both parents.
In casual conversation, many French speakers omit the demi- prefix entirely and simply say ma sœur to refer to a half-sister. This avoids emphasizing the biological distinction in social settings.
The term demi-sœur follows a strict gender agreement where the adjective demi remains invariable, unlike most French adjectives that change for feminine nouns.

Tom a une demi-sœur.
Tom has a half-sister.
This sentence shows how to state that Tom has a half-sister.
Tatoeba #5822130 by Yemana, translation #4493686 by CK
Elle est ma demi-sœur.
She's my half-sister.
This sentence is useful for identifying someone as your half-sister.
Tatoeba #1858260 by sacredceltic, translation #1855204 by Spamster
Thomas a une demi-sœur.
Thomas has a half-sister.
This sentence shows how to state that Thomas has a half-sister.
Tatoeba #3450347 by Blabla, translation #3450556 by Objectivesea
J'ai une demi-sœur qui est plus jeune que moi.
I have a half sister who is younger than me.
Mathilde est ma sœur d'un seul parent.
Mathilde is my half sister.
5 more sentences on Tatoeba

Two friends are talking about their family members at a cafe.

Sources

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