systerdotter
common gender
The English word "niece" can be translated into Swedish as systerdotter or brorsdotter. Wiktionary also lists niece.
Meaning: fraternal or sororal niece (noun)
Ways to say it
| Swedish | Note |
|---|---|
| systerdotter | common gender |
| niece | common gender |
| brorsdotter | common gender |
In Swedish, the term used for a niece depends on whether she is the daughter of your sister or the daughter of your brother.
What does it mean word for word?
Systerdotter is a compound of syster (sister) and dotter (daughter). Brorsdotter is a compound of bror (brother) and dotter (daughter), with an s added for connection.
Which one should you use?
While English uses the single word "niece" for both sides of the family, Swedish distinguishes between a sister's daughter (systerdotter) and a brother's daughter (brorsdotter).
How does it change in a sentence?
Both terms are common-gender nouns. To form the definite "the niece", you add the suffix -n to the end of the word, resulting in systerdottern or brorsdottern.
Did you know?
- In old Swedish law and inheritance customs, the distinction between a brorsdotter and a systerdotter could impact how property was passed down.
- The Swedish distinction between a sister's daughter and a brother's daughter mirrors the logic used for nephews, where one is a systerson and the other is a brorson.
- The English word 'niece' and the Swedish words brorsdotter and systerdotter share a distant ancestor in the Latin word neptis, which originally meant 'granddaughter'.
Examples in context
- Min brorsdotter är sjuksköterska.My niece is a nurse.This sentence shows how to use brorsdotter to talk about a niece's profession.Tatoeba #4445869 by richke, translation #3635941 by CK
- Min brorsdotter är så begåvad!My niece is so talented!
- Jag ska hämta min fasterdotter från skolan idag.I am picking up my niece from school today.
- Min systerdotter bor i Malmö.My niece lives in Malmö.
- 1 more sentence on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Linnea shows Karl a photo on her phone.
- LinneaTitta på min söta systerdotter!Look at my cute niece!
- KarlVilken fin flicka hon är.What a lovely girl she is.
- LinneaHon är precis som min syster.She is just like my sister.
- KarlJag kan se likheten.I can see the resemblance.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “niece” translations and entries systerdotter, niece, brorsdotter, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries brorsdotter, niece, systerdotter, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
