How to say big sister in Italian
Sorella maggiore
The direct translation for big sister in Italian is sorella maggiore.
Maggiore is a comparative adjective that translates into English as bigger.
Sorella maggiore
Big sister
So in order to say “I have a big sister in Italian”, you would simply say…
Ho una sorella maggiore.
I have a big sister.
But wait! What if you have more than one big sister? Here’s what you have to say:
Ho … sorelle maggiori.
I have … big sisters.
Just replace the … with how many big sisters you have.
Other ways to say big sister in Italian
Sorellona
Sorellona is an affectionate way you can refer to your older sister. Literally, this would be translated as “big sister”, with the suffix -ona meaning “big”.
This is commonly used by children to refer to their big sisters, so don’t use this in casual conversation with other adults unless you want to use humor!
Don’t say: Ho una sorellona.
Sorellona
Big sister (affectionate)
La mia sorellona va alle scuole medie.
My big sister goes to middle school.
Sorella più grande
This is yet another synonym for big sister in Italian, and it would literally translate as “older sister”. It’s a neutral term and you can use it instead of sorella maggiore.
Sorella più grande
Big sister
Ho una sorella più grande di nome Alessandra.
I have an older sister named Alessandra.
Do you have any siblings?
Let’s see how to ask people if they have any siblings.
These sentences literally translate as “do you have any brothers or sisters?”. There is no direct translation for “sibling” in Italian.
Hai fratelli o sorelle?
Do you have any siblings? (informal)
Ha fratelli o sorelle?
Do you have any siblings? (polite)
Use the first sentence if you are talking to a friend. Use the second sentence if you are talking to your boss, a stranger, etc.
More free Italian resources
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