Hitch, mi hermana María.
Hitch, my sister, María.
Running into someone at a produce stand, a woman smiles and introduces her sister with a name and mi hermana, which is all an introduction needs.
From Hitch · Spanish audio
Spanish vocabularyA1 · Beginner
How to say "sister" in Spanish
la hermana
nounfeminineplural: las hermanasmasculine: el hermano
"Sister" in Spanish is la hermana. A group of sisters is las hermanas, but as soon as one brother joins them, the word becomes hermanos. To say older or younger, add mayor or menor: mi hermana mayor.
Hear "hermana" in a real scene
A quick introduction in the street. The video starts and stops on that line.
Sister words in Spanish
Older, younger, twin, step or in-law.
| Spanish | English | Good to know |
|---|---|---|
| la hermana mayor | older sister | Mayor goes after the noun and keeps the same form. |
| la hermana menor | younger sister | In Spain you'll also hear la hermana pequeña. |
| la hermanita | little sister, sis | The -ita ending sounds affectionate. |
| la hermana gemela | twin sister | Somos gemelas means we're twins. |
| la hermanastra | stepsister | The daughter of your stepmother or stepfather. |
| la cuñada | sister-in-law | Your brother's wife, or your partner's sister. |
Tip: Nuns call each other hermana too, the same way English uses Sister.
Grammar: la hermana, las hermanas
Four points for talking about your sisters.
Feminine, so -a everywhere
la hermana, una hermana, and adjectives in -a: Mi hermana es rubia.Hermanas is girls only
las hermanas are all sisters. One brother in the group turns it into los hermanos.Introducing her
Esta es mi hermana. This is my sister. Use esta for a woman, este for a man.Mayor and menor
mi hermana mayor, mi hermana menor. These two words have one form for both genders.Example sentences
Sentences from the Wordy Spanish course. Tap to listen.
Tengo una hermana.
I have a sister.
Esta es mi hermana.
This is my sister.
Mi hermana trabaja en Madrid.
My sister works in Madrid.
Escucha, es mi hermana, ¿sí?
Listen, she's my sister, okay?
Common mistakes
Mistakes learners make with this word, and how to fix them.
✗mis hermanos (meaning two sisters)
✓mis hermanas
Hermanos tells people there's at least one brother.
✗Este es mi hermana
✓Esta es mi hermana
When you introduce a woman, use esta.
✗Tengo un hermana
✓Tengo una hermana
Hermana is feminine, so the article is una.
Practice: 3 quick exercises
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1 of 3 · Watch and choose
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The other 34 exercises on this topic are in the app.
How to remember it
Hermana starts with her. Point at your sister and think: her, hermana.
Questions about "sister" in Spanish
How do you say sister in Spanish?
La hermana. "My sister" is mi hermana.
How do you say little sister in Spanish?
Hermana menor, or hermana pequeña in Spain. Hermanita is the affectionate version, like sis.
How do you say sisters in Spanish?
Las hermanas, when they're all girls. If at least one brother is in the group, say los hermanos.
How do you say sister-in-law in Spanish?
La cuñada. It covers your brother's wife and your partner's sister.
