udade
The English word "sister" is translated into Zulu as udade or usisi.
Meaning: woman or girl having the same parents (noun)
Ways to say it
| Zulu |
|---|
| udade |
| usisi |
Both terms are used to refer to a woman or girl who shares the same parents.
Did you know?
- In Zulu culture, the term for 'sister' can change depending on whether you are the older or younger sibling. A person might use different kinship terms to address a sister based on this specific birth order hierarchy.
- In Zulu culture, the word usisi is often used as a term of respect for any woman slightly older than the speaker, regardless of whether they are biologically related.
- The Zulu language belongs to the Bantu family, where the prefix u- in udade and usisi marks the word as belonging to a class of nouns primarily used for people.
Examples in context
- Udade wami ulele.My sister is sleeping.
Example conversation
Sipho is asking Thandeka about her family.
- ThandekaSipho, lona ngudade wami.Sipho, this is my sister.
- SiphoSawubona, udade kaThandeka.Hello, Thandeka's sister.
- ThandekaUdade wami uthola imiphumela emihle.My sister gets good results.
- SiphoKuhle kakhulu lokho.That is very good.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “sister” translations, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
