hermana mayor
/eɾmana maʝoɾ/from spelling rules
The Spanish phrase for "older sister" is hermana mayor.
Hermana mayor is the most common and widely used term to refer to an older sister.
Meaning: single-word translations (noun)
What does it mean word for word?
The phrase is composed of hermana, meaning sister and mayor, meaning older or elder.
Is it said differently in some regions?
In Spain, you may hear the term hermana mayorcita, which is a way to add affection or endearment when referring to an older sister.
How does it change in a sentence?
In Spanish, the adjective mayor follows the noun hermana to indicate seniority by age. When referring to multiple older sisters, both the noun and the adjective must be pluralized to hermanas mayores.
How do you pronounce it?
/eɾmana maʝoɾ/
Did you know?
- In many Spanish-speaking cultures, the hermana mayor traditionally takes on a maternal role, often called la segunda madre or 'the second mother'.
- The term hermana is frequently used in Spanish to refer to a nun in a convent, regardless of whether she has biological siblings.
- The word hermana shares a common ancestor with the English word 'germane', which describes something closely related or relevant.
Examples in context
- Ella es mi hermana mayor.She's my older sister.This sentence shows how to identify someone as your hermana mayor.Tatoeba #592340 by Shishir, translation #469125 by CK
- Mary es mi hermana mayor.Mary is my older sister.This sentence uses a name to identify an hermana mayor.Tatoeba #3603132 by ficion, translation #3370780 by CK
- No tengo una hermana mayor.I don't have an older sister.This sentence is used to state that you do not have an hermana mayor.Tatoeba #9432273 by ignacio, translation #9432270 by CK
- 36 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Alejandro and Elena are looking at family photos.
- Alejandro¿Quién es la chica de la foto?Who is the girl in the photo?
- ElenaElla es mi hermana mayor, Sofía.She is my older sister, Sofia.
- AlejandroSe parece mucho a ti.She looks a lot like you.
- ElenaSí, mi hermana mayor y yo somos iguales.Yes, my older sister and I are the same.
Sources
- IPA marked “from spelling rules” is derived from standard Spanish spelling, where Wiktionary gives none.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries hermana, mayor, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
