How to Say "Sister" in Yiddish

שוועסטער

shvester/ˈʃvɛstəʁ/feminine

The Yiddish word for sister is שוועסטער (shvester).

שוועסטער is a feminine noun used to refer to a woman or girl having the same parents.

Meaning: woman or girl having the same parents (noun)

How does it change in a sentence?

To express possession (the genitive case), the form שוועסטערס is used to mean 'sister's'.

The romanization is shvester.

In many Yiddish-speaking communities, the term שוועסטער can be used colloquially as a term of endearment or respect for a woman, even if there is no biological relation.
The word שוועסטער follows a pattern where many family terms in Yiddish share roots with Germanic languages rather than Semitic ones, despite using the Hebrew alphabet.
While שוועסטער means 'sister', the word שוועסטערל adds a diminutive suffix to express a feeling of endearment or to describe a much younger sister.

אירע שוועסטער גייט נישט קיין אמעריקע.
Her sister is not going to America.
This sentence shows how to use שוועסטער when talking about someone else's sister.
Tatoeba #4265340 by negativeclock, translation #1803111 by CM
איך בין אַ שוועסטער.
I'm a sister.
This sentence illustrates the use of שוועסטער to identify oneself.
Tatoeba #11846891 by shekitten, translation #11846905 by shekitten
איך האָב איין שוועסטער.
I have one sister.
This sentence demonstrates how to use שוועסטער when stating the number of sisters one has.
Tatoeba #12439230 by rul, translation #370738 by saeb
20 more sentences on Tatoeba

Menachem is asking Reizel about her family.

מנחם Menahem

האָט איר אַ שוועסטער?
Hot ir a shvester?
Do you have a sister?
רייזל Reizel

יאָ, איך האָב אַ גרויסע שוועסטער.
Yo, ikh hob a groyse shvester.
Yes, I have an older sister.
מנחם Menahem

וואו וואוינט זי?
Vu voynt zi?
Where does she live?
רייזל Reizel

זי וואוינט אין ניו יארק.
Zi voynt in Nyu York.
She lives in New York.

Sources

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