j'ai une sœur
In French, the phrase "I have a sister" is expressed as j'ai une sœur.
The phrase j'ai une sœur is a statement used to indicate that a person has one female sibling. You can also use J'ai une frangine as an informal way to say "I have a sis".
What does it mean word for word?
The phrase is composed of je (I), which is elided to j' before the verb ai (have), followed by une (a/one) and sœur (sister).
Which one should you use?
To specify the age of the sister, you can use different forms: J'ai une sœur aînée means "I have an older sister", while J'ai une sœur cadette means "I have a younger sister". Additionally, J'ai une sœur à moi is used to literally mean "I have a sister of mine".
How does it change in a sentence?
The phrase uses the verb avoir (to have) conjugated in the first-person singular present tense as ai. Because sœur is a feminine noun, the indefinite article une must be used instead of the masculine un.
Did you know?
- In French, you can refer to a 'sister in law' as belle-sœur, which literally translates to 'beautiful sister'.
- French speakers use the phrase sœur de lait to describe a 'milk sister', referring to a woman who was breastfed by the same wet nurse as the speaker.
- The informal term frangine is derived from frangin, a word created using Verlan, a type of French slang that reverses the syllables of words to create new terms.
Examples in context
- J'ai une sœur et un frère.I have a sister and a brother.This sentence is useful for showing how to include a brother in the statement using j'ai une sœur.Tatoeba #5822138 by Yemana, translation #2358815 by CK
- J'ai une sœur.I have a sister.This sentence is a simple way to state the fact using j'ai une sœur.Tatoeba #1447098 by Aiji, translation #1447094 by CM
- J'ai une sœur qui s'appelle Marie.I have a sister named Marie.
- J'ai une sœur qui habite à Lyon.I have a sister who lives in Lyon.
Example conversation
Two friends are talking about their families at a cafe.
- LéaEst-ce que tu as des frères et sœurs ?Do you have any brothers and sisters?
- HugoJ'ai une sœur, mais pas de frère.I have a sister, but no brother.
- LéaElle est plus grande ou plus petite que toi ?Is she older or younger than you?
- HugoElle est plus jeune que moi.She is younger than me.
Sources
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
