How to Say "My Older Sister" in French

ma grande sœur

In French, 'my older sister' is translated as ma grande sœur.

This phrase is used to refer to a sister who was born before the speaker.

What does it mean word for word?

The phrase ma grande sœur literally translates to 'my big sister'.

While ma grande sœur refers to an older sister, you would use ma petite sœur to refer to a younger sister.

French allows the use of ma sœur to refer to a nun, meaning the phrase ma grande sœur could theoretically describe a senior nun in a convent.
The Latin root of sœur, *sorōrem, is also the ancestor of the English word 'sorority', which describes a sisterhood.
If you were to describe a sister who is much older than you, you might use aînée instead of grande to emphasize the birth order.

Ma grande sœur chante bien.
My older sister is good at singing.
This sentence shows how to use ma grande sœur to talk about a talent.
Tatoeba #7550663 by Aiji, translation #3851618 by CK
Ma grande sœur est une ninja.
My older sister is a female ninja.
This sentence uses ma grande sœur to describe someone's profession or role.
Tatoeba #3782563 by kamillel, translation #1331288 by Scott
Ma grande sœur nage très vite.
My older sister swims very fast.
This sentence demonstrates using ma grande sœur to describe an action performed quickly.
Tatoeba #8194 by sacredceltic, translation #3665560 by _undertoad
Ma sœur aînée, [Name], est très intelligente.
My older sister, [Name], is very intelligent.
Ma sœur aînée, [Name], est ma meilleure amie.
My older sister, [Name], is my best friend.
4 more sentences on Tatoeba

Nathan and Emma are talking about family during lunch.

Sources

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