French · People & Family
"Sister" in French: sœur
la sœur
Sister in French is la sœur, feminine, said SUR. Ma sœur is my sister. Grandes sœurs and petites sœurs mark older and younger sisters. The œ ligature sounds like the vowel in "blur" without a hard r.
Introductions
Ma sœur habite à Nantes.Speak with an AI partner · 7 days free
How to pronounce sœur
Say it
SUR
/sœʁ/
SUR (roughly). Œu is one vowel sound, like eu in fleur. Soft French r. Do not say "sore" with an English o.
"Sister" in French: quick reference
| French | English | When to use |
|---|---|---|
| la sœur | the sister Basic family noun. | Basic family noun. |
| ma sœur | my sister Possessive with feminine sœur. | Possessive with feminine sœur. |
| grande sœur / petite sœur | big sister / little sister Age within the family. | Age within the family. |
| sœurs | sisters Plural; frères et sœurs for siblings. | Plural; frères et sœurs for siblings. |
How to use sœur in real life
- 1Introductions
Ma sœur habite à Nantes.
My sister lives in Nantes.
Ma sœur with the feminine noun.
- 2Weekend plans
Je vois ma sœur samedi matin.
I'm seeing my sister Saturday morning.
Simple present for a set plan.
- 3Family size
J'ai deux sœurs et un frère.
I have two sisters and one brother.
Sœurs is the plural spelling.
Mistakes English speakers make with sœur
Incorrect: Mon sœur arrive.
Correct: Ma sœur arrive.
Sœur is feminine: ma sœur, not mon sœur.
Incorrect: Ma soeur (without œ) is wrong in careful spelling.
Correct: Ma sœur.
The standard spelling uses œ. Soeur without the ligature appears in casual typing but sœur is preferred.
Good to know
Belle-sœur is sister-in-law; demi-sœur is half-sister. In speech, sœur is also used affectionately among close women friends in some circles, but the core meaning is family.
Try it in a ChatPal conversation
Meeting a classmate's family at a party
ChatPal
Je te présente ma sœur, Léa.
This is my sister, Léa.
You
Enchanté. Ta sœur et toi, vous vous ressemblez.
Nice to meet you. You and your sister look alike.
ChatPal
Tout le monde dit ça de ma sœur et moi !
Everyone says that about my sister and me!
You
C'est un compliment.
It's a compliment.
This is a sample. In ChatPal you have this conversation out loud and get feedback on what you say.
Practice this conversation in ChatPal"Sister" in other languages
FAQ
Common questions about "Sister" in French
How do I say my sister?
Ma sœur.
How do you type sœur?
Use the œ ligature when you can: sœur. Soeur is a common fallback on keyboards.
What is belle-sœur?
Sister-in-law.
How do you pronounce sœur?
SUR, with a French eu vowel and soft r.
Learn a word, then use it out loud
- Step 1: See it in context
- Step 2: Say it out loud
- Step 3: Get feedback
- Step 4: Use it in real scenarios
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