خوَاهَر
xāhar
The English word "sister" is translated into Persian as خوَاهَر (xāhar). Wiktionary also lists خْوَاهَر (xwāhar) and هَمْشِیرَه (hamšīra).
Meaning: woman or girl having the same parents (noun)
Ways to say it
| Persian | Romanization (Wiktionary) |
|---|---|
| خوَاهَر | xāhar |
| خْوَاهَر | xwāhar |
| هَمْشِیرَه | hamšīra |
| اُخْت | uxt |
| خواهَر | xâhar |
| هَمْشیرِه | hamšire |
The word refers to a woman or girl having the same parents.
Which one should you use?
خوَاهَر is the standard, most common word for sister used in everyday speech and writing.
How do you pronounce it?
xāhar
Did you know?
- In Persian culture, calling an older woman آبجی (abji), a diminutive form of 'sister', is a very common way to show friendly closeness or respect, even if you are not related.
- Persian uses خواهر in the compound word خواهرزاده to mean 'sister's child' regardless of whether the child is a niece or nephew.
- While خوَاهَر is the standard term, you might hear the word اُخْت in certain regional dialects or informal settings, though it is much less common in standard Tehrani Persian.
Examples in context
- من یک خوَاهَر دارم.man yek khāhar dāram.I have a sister.
- خوَاهَرِ او خیلی مهربان است.khāhar-e u kheyli mehrabān ast.His sister is very kind.
- آیا خوَاهَر داری؟āyā khāhar dāri?Do you have a sister?
Example conversation
Ali is showing a photo to Zahra.
- علی Aliاین عکس خوَاهَر من است.In aks-e khāhar-e man ast.This is a photo of my sister.
- زهرا Zahraاو خیلی زیباست.Ou kheyli zibāst.She is very beautiful.
- علی Aliممنون، او دانشجوی پزشکی است.Mamnun, ou dāneshju-ye pezeshki ast.Thanks, she is a medical student.
- زهرا Zahraچه عالی! خوَاهَر من هم پزشک است.Che āli! Khāhar-e man ham pezeshk ast.How great! My sister is also a doctor.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “sister” translations, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
