How to Say "Older Sister" in Tagalog

ate

/ˈʔate/

In Tagalog, the term for "older sister" is ate.

Ate is used as a respectful honorific when addressing or referring to an older sister or any slightly older female peer.

Meaning: single-word translations (noun)

How does it change in a sentence?

To say "my older sister," you add the possessive pronoun ko after ate.

/ˈʔate/

In Filipino culture, ate is commonly used to address women who are not biological relatives to show respect based on age.

The term ate is actually a loanword from the Hokkien Chinese term á-chí, which means 'eldest sister'.
Using the name of an older sister without the title ate can be perceived as disrespectful or an act of defiance in traditional settings.
In a traditional Filipino household, the ate often takes on a parental role, helping to raise younger siblings while the parents work.

Hindi nagtatrabaho ang ate ko.
My older sister doesn’t work.
This sentence is useful for stating that your ate does not work.
Tatoeba #12988976 by dyuuuuuuuuls, translation #8981603 by Analu_Kalaka
Mahusay maglaro ng gitara ang aking ate.
My older sister plays the guitar well.
This sentence is useful for describing how well your ate plays the guitar.
Tatoeba #1073637 by scylla, translation #245570 by CK
Magandang umaga, Ate Maria. Kumusta ka na?
Good morning, Ate Maria. How are you?
Kamusta, Ate Tin? Tara, kain tayo ng masarap na meryenda!
Hi, Ate Tin! Let's eat some delicious snacks!
Nasaan ang ate mo?
Where is your older sister?

Jose and Jasmine are talking about their family members.

Sources

Wiktionary, “older sister” translations and entries ate, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
Word origins: Wiktionary entries ate, CC BY-SA 4.0.
Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.

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