suster
/sœstər/
The English word "sister" is translated into Afrikaans as suster.
Suster is a noun used to describe a woman or girl who has the same parents as another person.
Meaning: woman or girl having the same parents (noun)
Which one should you use?
While suster refers specifically to a female sibling, the term broer is used to refer to a brother.
How does it change in a sentence?
To form the plural, add an -s to the end of the word to get susters. To indicate possession (for example, "the sister's"), add the particle se after the noun, such as in suster se.
How do you pronounce it?
/sœstər/
Did you know?
- In South Africa, suster is commonly used as a respectful title for a nurse, regardless of whether the person is a biological sibling.
- Because Afrikaans is a highly expressive language, one might use the phrase suster van die hart to describe a woman who is not a biological sister but is considered one.
- The spelling of suster is more streamlined than its Dutch predecessor, 'zuster', reflecting the way Afrikaans simplified many Dutch spellings over time.
Examples in context
- My suster is mooi.My sister is pretty.This example shows how to use suster to describe someone's appearance.Tatoeba #822093 by siener, translation #251899 by CK
- Mary is Tom se suster.Mary is Tom's sister.This example demonstrates how to show a relationship using the possessive particle with suster.Tatoeba #1450321 by Diablofire, translation #1030060 by CK
- Ons is broer en suster.We are brother and sister.This example shows how to use suster when describing a pair of siblings.Tatoeba #11618333 by SunnyMoon, translation #248611 by CK
- My sussie is die beste!My sister is the best!
- 3 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Nicola and Stefan are talking at a family gathering.
- NicolaHet jy 'n suster?Do you have a sister?
- StefanJa, ek het een suster.Yes, I have one sister.
- NicolaIs sy ook hier?Is she also here?
- StefanNee, my suster is by die werk.No, my sister is at work.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “sister” translations and entries suster, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
