Geschwister
/ɡəˈʃvɪstər/
The German phrase for siblings is Geschwister.
How do you pronounce it?
/ɡəˈʃvɪstər/
Did you know?
- The word Geschwister is a collective noun. This means it is always plural and cannot be used to refer to a single sibling, regardless of gender.
- Unlike the English 'siblings', which is a relatively modern and formal-sounding term, Geschwister is the standard, everyday way to discuss brothers and sisters in Germany.
- German uses the prefix ge- in Geschwister to create a collective group. This is a common pattern in German to turn individual items into a set.
Examples in context
- Tom hat zwei Geschwister.Tom has two siblings.Tatoeba #7464588 by brauchinet, translation #7463370 by shekitten
- Er hat keine Geschwister.He hasn't got any siblings.Tatoeba #8633694 by Melang, translation #8946879 by sundown
- Ich habe zwei Geschwister.I have two siblings.Tatoeba #1197575 by Tlustulimu, translation #2230345 by eternica
- Mein Bruder ist jünger als ich.My brother is younger than me.
- Meine Geschwister sind meine besten Freunde.My siblings are my best friends.
- Er hat zwei Geschwister, einen Bruder und eine Schwester.He has two siblings, a brother and a sister.
- 58 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Hannah and Maximilian are talking about their families.
- HannahHast du eigentlich Geschwister, Maximilian?Do you actually have siblings, Maximilian?
- MaximilianJa, ich habe eine Schwester und einen Bruder.Yes, I have a sister and a brother.
- HannahDas ist schön, ich bin ein Einzelkind.That's nice, I am an only child.
- MaximilianDann hast du also keine Geschwister.So you have no siblings then.
Sources
- Pronunciation: Wiktionary entry Geschwister, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
