media hermana
/medja eɾmana/from spelling rulesfeminine
In Spanish, the phrase for half sister is media hermana. Wiktionary also lists hermanastra.
Meaning: a female half sibling (noun)
Ways to say it
| Spanish | IPA | Note |
|---|---|---|
| media hermana | /medja eɾmana/ (from spelling rules) | feminine |
| hermanastra | /eɾmaˈnastɾa/ | feminine |
Both media hermana and hermanastra are used to refer to a female half sibling.
What does it mean word for word?
The term media hermana is a literal translation of the English phrase, where media means half and hermana means sister.
Which one should you use?
While media hermana literally means half-sister (sharing one biological parent), hermanastra is frequently used in modern Spanish to mean 'step-sister' (no biological relation, but children of remarried parents).
How does it change in a sentence?
The plural form of the phrase is medias hermanas.
Did you know?
- The English word 'germane', used to describe something relevant or closely related, shares the same linguistic ancestor as hermana. Both come from the Latin 'germāna', which referred to siblings of the same blood.
- The suffix -astra in the word hermanastra is famously associated with the 'evil stepmother' archetype in fairy tales. This can give the word a slightly sinister or negative nuance that 'step-sister' does not have in English.
- If you use the word media to describe a person's ability or character instead of their sibling status, you are actually saying they are 'average' or 'mediocre'.
Examples in context
- Ella es mi hermanastra.She's my half-sister.This sentence is useful for identifying a person as a hermanastra.Tatoeba #1861968 by Shishir, translation #1855204 by Spamster
- Mary es mi hermanastra.Mary is my half-sister.This sentence shows how to use the name Mary with the word hermanastra.Tatoeba #10124615 by manufrutos, translation #5426380 by CK
- En realidad, Susan es tu hermanastra.Susan is actually your half sister.This sentence demonstrates the use of hermanastra when clarifying a relationship.Tatoeba #2004276 by Shishir, translation #52402 by Jesse
- Tengo una hermanastra.I have a half sister.
- Ella es mi media hermana.She is my half sister.
- Ella es mi hermana de padre.She is my half sister from my father's side.
- Voy a visitar a mi media hermana el fin de semana.I'm going to visit my half sister this weekend.
- Mi hermana de padre es mi mejor amiga.My half sister from my father's side is my best friend.
- 3 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Elena and Mateo are discussing their family members at home.
- ElenaEs mi media hermana.She is my half sister.
- Mateo¿Ella también vive aquí?Does she live here too?
- ElenaSí, mi media hermana vive conmigo.Yes, my half sister lives with me.
- MateoQué bueno que estén juntas.It is good that you are together.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “half sister” translations and entries media hermana, hermanastra, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- IPA marked “from spelling rules” is derived from standard Spanish spelling, where Wiktionary gives none.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries hermana, hermanastra, media, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
