How to Say "My Big Sister" in Spanish

mi hermana mayor

/mi eɾmana maʝoɾ/from spelling rules

The phrase "my big sister" in Spanish is mi hermana mayor.

Use this phrase to refer to a sister who is older than you.

What does it mean word for word?

Literally, mi hermana mayor translates to "my sister older".

If you want to refer to a younger sister (a little sister) instead of an older one, replace mayor with menor to say mi hermana menor.

/mi eɾmana maʝoɾ/

If you use the adjective grande instead of mayor to say 'my big sister', you are describing her physical height or size rather than her age.
In Spanish, the phrase hermana mayor can also refer to a 'senior' sister in a religious order, such as a nun.
The word mayor descends from the Latin 'maior', which is the same root that gives us the English word 'major'.

Tengo más faldas que mi hermana mayor.
I have more skirts than my big sister.
This sentence is useful for comparing quantities of skirts using mi 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 a daily habit of mi hermana mayor.
Tatoeba #10879700 by Shishir, translation #11267485 by Luornu
Mi hermana mayor es una abogada muy exitosa.
My big sister is a very successful lawyer.
Mi hermana mayor siempre me ayuda con mis problemas.
My big sister always helps me with my problems.
¡Hola! Esta es mi hermana mayorcita, Ana.
Hi! This is my dear big sister, Ana.
Mi hermana mayor vive en Madrid.
My big sister lives in Madrid.

Lucía is showing a photo to Alejandro.

Sources

IPA marked “from spelling rules” is derived from standard Spanish spelling, where Wiktionary gives none.
Word origins: Wiktionary entries hermana, mayor, mi, CC BY-SA 4.0.
Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.

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