grande sœur
/ɡʁɑ̃d sœʁ/
The French phrase for "older sister" is grande sœur.
Meaning: single-word translations (noun)
What does it mean word for word?
The phrase literally translates to "big sister".
Which one should you use?
While grande sœur refers to an older sister, the term petite sœur is used to mean "little sister".
How does it change in a sentence?
In this phrase, the adjective grande is placed before the noun sœur to indicate seniority in age. Because sœur is a feminine noun, the possessive adjective used with it must be the feminine ma (as in ma grande sœur) rather than the masculine mon.
How do you pronounce it?
/ɡʁɑ̃d sœʁ/
Did you know?
- In some French-speaking African countries, grande sœur can be used as a respectful title for any woman slightly older than the speaker, even if they are not related.
- While grande sœur describes a biological sibling, the term sœur is also used in French to refer to a nun in a religious community.
- French lacks a single, dedicated word for 'elder' when describing siblings, relying instead on the adjective for 'big' or 'large'.
Examples in context
- Ma grande sœur chante bien.My older sister is good at singing.This sentence shows how to use 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 grande sœur to describe a profession.Tatoeba #3782563 by kamillel, translation #1331288 by Scott
- Ma grande sœur nage très vite.My older sister swims very fast.This sentence demonstrates the use of grande sœur when describing an ability.Tatoeba #8194 by sacredceltic, translation #3665560 by _undertoad
- Je vais rendre visite à ma grande sœur ce week-end.I'm going to visit my older sister this weekend.
- Ma sœur aînée est très protectrice envers moi.My older sister is very protective of me.
- 9 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Léa and Hugo are talking about their families at a cafe.
- LéaTu as une grande sœur ?Do you have an older sister?
- HugoOui, ma grande sœur s'appelle Clara.Yes, my older sister's name is Clara.
- LéaElle habite ici aussi ?Does she live here too?
- HugoNon, elle travaille à Lyon.No, she works in Lyon.
Sources
- Pronunciation: Wiktionary entry grande sœur, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
