Published May 4, 2025 • Updated October 21, 2026 — By French teacher David Issokson with native audio by Marie Assel Cambier
Sœur meaning
Sœur (f.) is a French noun meaning “sister.” It refers to a female sibling and is commonly used when talking about family relationships. The plural form is sœurs (sisters). The expression les frères et sœurs means “siblings.” The word sœur can also refer to a nun, as in Sœur Sourire (the Singing Nun).
Sœur pronunciation
The IPA pronunciation of sœur is /sœʁ/, which sounds approximately like “suhr.”
Sœur example sentences
Martine est la sœur de Gerald. Elle a trente ans.
Martine is Gerald’s sister. She is thirty years old.
Combien de frères et sœurs as-tu ?
How many brothers and sisters do you have?
Dominique est la chanson la plus célèbre de Sœur Sourire.
Dominique is the Singing Nun’s most famous song.
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🪶 Word origin
The French word sœur comes from the Latin soror, meaning “sister.” It shares a common Indo-European origin with the English word “sister,” the German Schwester, and the Spanish hermana. Over time, the Latin word evolved into the Old French seror before becoming sœur in modern French.
🔗 Related words and expressions
- le frère — brother
- la sœur aînée — older sister
- la sœur cadette — younger sister
- les frères et sœurs — siblings
- la fratrie — siblings (collectively)
- la demi-sœur — half-sister
- la belle-sœur — sister-in-law
- la sœur jumelle — twin sister
📚 Related lessons
👉 Dominique (song by Sœur Sourir) »
👉 Père (father) »
👉 Maman (mom) »
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