In English, 'sibling' is the go-to gender-neutral term for a brother or sister. But what's the equivalent in French? Interestingly, French doesn't have a single, common word for it. So, how do you ask someone if they have siblings, or talk about your own family? It's easier than you might think! As you get deeper into French, you'll discover various phrases and words to navigate this. Let's explore nine different ways to say 'sibling' in French, covering everything from everyday conversation to more formal terms.

1. The standard 'brother' and 'sister' – frère/sœur

The most fundamental and direct words for siblings in French are frère for 'brother' and sœur for 'sister'. These are the essential terms you'll use in almost every situation.

Like many French nouns, these words have specific forms for plurals:

frère - a brother
sœur - a sister
frères - brothers
sœurs - sisters To refer to 'siblings' as a mixed group, the common phrase is frères et sœurs (brothers and sisters).

You will typically use these words with a possessive adjective to show relationship, such as mon frère (my brother), ta sœur (your sister, informal), or ses frères (his/her brothers).

To specify if a sibling is older or younger, you use the adjectives grand (older/big) and petit (younger/little). For example: mon grand frère (my big brother) and ma petite sœur (my little sister).

Beyond family, frère and sœur can be used figuratively. Sœur can refer to a nun, while frère can refer to a monk or a very close friend. A common, affectionate slang term for brother is frérot, similar to 'bro' in English. The equivalent for sister, sœurette, is less common but also used.

💡 * J'ai un frère et deux sœurs.

Comment s'appelle ta grande sœur ?

Mon petit frère adore jouer au football.

Ils sont allés au cinéma avec leurs frères et sœurs.

Ça va, frérot ?

The collective term for 'siblings' – frères et sœurs

Unlike English, which has the convenient single word 'siblings,' French doesn't have a direct one-word equivalent that's used as frequently in casual conversation. Instead, the most common way to refer to one's siblings collectively is with the phrase frères et sœurs.

Literally translating to 'brothers and sisters,' this phrase is the standard and universally understood way to talk about all your siblings together, regardless of their gender. You use the full phrase to encompass everyone.

This phrase is most frequently encountered when asking someone if they have siblings. The question in French is « Tu as des frères et sœurs ? » (informal) or « Avez-vous des frères et sœurs ? » (formal).

When answering this question, you specify what you have. For example, if you only have sisters, you would say, « Non, j'ai seulement des sœurs. » (No, I only have sisters). If you have both, you might say, « Oui, j'ai un frère et une sœur. » (Yes, I have a brother and a sister).

A more formal, literary, and less common single word for 'siblings' is la fratrie. While it means 'the siblings' or 'sibling group,' it's more likely to be found in writing or in sociological contexts rather than in a casual chat.

In summary, while la fratrie is technically the single word for 'siblings,' you will almost always hear and use frères et sœurs when asking or talking about your family in an everyday conversation. Stick with frères et sœurs to sound natural.

💡 * Tu as des frères et sœurs ? (Do you have any siblings?)

Mes frères et sœurs et moi sommes très proches. (My siblings and I are very close.)

J'ai deux sœurs mais pas de frère. (I have two sisters but no brother.)

La relation entre frères et sœurs peut être compliquée. (The relationship between siblings can be complicated.)

The affectionate 'bro' and 'sis' – frérot/sœurette

For very close friends or actual siblings, French speakers often use affectionate diminutives like frérot and sœurette. These terms are the French equivalent of calling someone 'bro' or 'sis' in English and convey a strong sense of warmth and familiarity.

Frérot is derived from the word frère (brother). The suffix -ot is a diminutive, which adds a sense of endearment. While it literally means 'little brother,' its modern usage is much closer to 'bro'. It can be used for your actual brother or a very close male friend.

In the same way, sœurette comes from sœur (sister). The suffix -ette is a common feminine diminutive ending in French. It means 'little sister' but is used like 'sis' for a sister or a close female friend you see as a sister.

These are highly informal and personal terms. You should only use them with people you have a genuine, sibling-like bond with. They are perfect for showing deep affection and camaraderie but would be inappropriate in a formal setting or with someone you don't know well.

Think of frérot and sœurette not just as words, but as expressions of a special relationship. They signal a level of closeness that goes beyond a regular friendship, reserved for your inner circle.

💡 * Salut frérot, comment ça va depuis le temps ? (Hey bro, how have you been?)

Ma sœurette m'a offert un super cadeau pour mon anniversaire. (My little sis gave me a great gift for my birthday.)

T'inquiète pas, frérot, on va trouver une solution ensemble. (Don't worry, bro, we'll find a solution together.)

Elle, c'est ma sœurette, je lui fais confiance à 100%. (Her, she's my sis, I trust her 100%.)

The informal, slang 'bro' and 'sis' – frangin/frangine

To sound truly authentic in casual French, you can use frangin and frangine for “bro” and “sis,” respectively.

Frangin is the informal slang for frère (brother), and frangine is the slang for sœur (sister). These terms carry a very familiar and affectionate tone, much like their English counterparts.

Unlike some slang terms, these are strictly gendered. Frangin is always used for a male, and frangine is always used for a female. You cannot use them interchangeably.

Just like “bro” and “sis” in English, frangin and frangine are often used to refer to very close friends, not just biological siblings. This usage implies a deep, brotherly or sisterly bond.

💡 * Salut mon frangin, ça va ? (Hey my bro, how's it going?)

Ma frangine m'a donné un super cadeau. (My sis gave me a great gift.)

C'est pas mon frère, mais c'est mon frangin. (He's not my brother, but he's my bro.)

On sort avec ma frangine et ses copines ce soir. (We're going out with my sis and her friends tonight.)

The formal term for the sibling group – la fratrie

The formal term for the sibling group – la fratrie

La fratrie is a collective noun in French that refers to all the children of the same parents, encompassing both brothers and sisters. It's the direct equivalent of the English term "the sibling group" or simply "siblings" as a whole.

This term belongs to a more formal, literary, or even technical register (used in fields like psychology or sociology). In everyday conversation, it's much more common for someone to say mes frères et sœurs (my brothers and sisters) rather than ma fratrie.

A key grammatical point is that la fratrie is always a feminine noun, regardless of the gender of the siblings it describes. For example, you would say la fratrie est grande (the sibling group is large) even if it consists entirely of boys.

While you won't use it often when chatting with friends, recognizing la fratrie is important for understanding written French, news articles, and formal discussions about family dynamics. It's a useful vocabulary word for elevating your comprehension and expression in more sophisticated contexts.

💡 * Il est le plus jeune de la fratrie. (He is the youngest of the siblings.)

Une grande rivalité existe au sein de cette fratrie. (A great rivalry exists within this sibling group.)

La fratrie s'est réunie pour l'anniversaire de leur mère. (The siblings got together for their mother's birthday.)

Toute la fratrie a hérité de la maison familiale. (All the siblings inherited the family home.)

The 'older brother' and 'older sister' – grand frère/grande sœur

To specify an older sibling in French, you use the adjectives grand (for masculine) and grande (for feminine). The terms for 'older brother' and 'older sister' are grand frère and grande sœur, respectively.

Literally, grand frère translates to 'big brother' and grande sœur translates to 'big sister'. This is the standard and most common way to refer to an older sibling in French.

It's important to note the adjective agreement. Grand is the masculine form used with frère (brother), and grande is the feminine form used with sœur (sister). This agreement is a core concept in French grammar.

Unlike the slang term frérot, grand frère and grande sœur are not slang. They are used in all contexts, from informal family conversations to formal settings, to clearly indicate the age relationship between siblings.

💡 * Mon grand frère s'appelle Thomas. (My older brother's name is Thomas.)

Ma grande sœur est avocate. (My older sister is a lawyer.)

J'ai deux ans de moins que mon grand frère. (I am two years younger than my older brother.)

Tu as une grande sœur ? (Do you have an older sister?)

The 'younger brother' and 'younger sister' – petit frère/petite sœur

To specify a younger sibling in French, you use the adjective petit (small/little) before the noun. The direct translation for 'younger brother' is un petit frère, and for 'younger sister' it is une petite sœur.

While petit and petite literally mean 'small' or 'little,' in the context of family members, their primary meaning shifts to 'younger.' This is the standard way to differentiate siblings by age, not physical size.

Conversely, to refer to an older sibling, you would use grand (big/great) for a brother (un grand frère) and grande for a sister (une grande sœur). This opposition between petit and grand is key to describing sibling age order.

💡 * Mon petit frère est très drôle. (My younger brother is very funny.)

Je vais au cinéma avec ma petite sœur ce week-end. (I am going to the movies with my younger sister this weekend.)

Il n'a pas de petit frère, mais il a une grande sœur. (He doesn't have a younger brother, but he has an older sister.)

Comment s'appelle ta petite sœur ? (What is your younger sister's name?)

The 'half-brother' and 'half-sister' – demi-frère/demi-sœur

The French terms for half-siblings are straightforward translations from English. You use un demi-frère for a 'half-brother' and une demi-sœur for a 'half-sister'.

These are compound nouns formed by combining the word demi (which means 'half') with frère (brother) or sœur (sister). This literal construction makes the terms easy to understand and remember.

To make these terms plural, you only add an 's' to the second word. For example, 'half-brothers' becomes des demi-frères and 'half-sisters' becomes des demi-sœurs. The word demi does not change.

These terms are used exactly as they are in English to refer to a sibling with whom you share only one biological parent.

💡 * Mon demi-frère habite en France. (My half-brother lives in France.)

J'ai une demi-sœur qui est plus jeune que moi. (I have a half-sister who is younger than me.)

Ils sont demi-frères, ils ont le même père mais des mères différentes. (They are half-brothers, they have the same father but different mothers.)

Mes demi-sœurs viennent nous rendre visite ce week-end. (My half-sisters are coming to visit us this weekend.)

The 'stepbrother' and 'stepsister' – beau-frère/belle-sœur

In French, the concepts of 'stepbrother' and 'stepsister' are covered by the same terms used for in-laws: beau-frère and belle-sœur. This can be confusing at first, but context almost always clarifies the relationship.

The term beau-frère serves a dual purpose. It can mean:

Stepbrother: The son of your stepparent (e.g., your mother's new husband's son).
Brother-in-law: Your spouse's brother or your sibling's husband.

The literal translation is 'beautiful brother', which applies to both family connections.

Similarly, belle-sœur is used for both relationships. It can mean:

Stepsister: The daughter of your stepparent.
Sister-in-law: Your spouse's sister or your sibling's wife.

Like its male counterpart, it literally translates to 'beautiful sister'.

If you need to be more specific to avoid ambiguity, you can add a clarifying phrase. For example, to explicitly state someone is your stepbrother, you could say, C'est mon beau-frère, le fils de ma belle-mère (He is my stepbrother, the son of my stepmother).

💡 * Mon beau-frère et moi allons souvent à la pêche ensemble. (My stepbrother and I often go fishing together.)

Je m'entends très bien avec ma belle-sœur. (I get along very well with my stepsister.)

Il a deux beaux-frères : le fils de son beau-père et le mari de sa sœur. (He has two 'beaux-frères': his stepbrother and his brother-in-law.)

Ma belle-sœur habite à Paris. (My stepsister lives in Paris.)

Are there other ways to say 'sibling' in French?

Our guide covers the most common and essential ways to refer to siblings in French. However, French is a rich language with many nuances, so you may encounter other terms in different contexts, including affectionate nicknames, regional slang, or older expressions.

To discover regional variations, try an online search for “comment on dit frère et sœur en” followed by a specific Francophone region, like Québec or Senegal. You might be surprised by the local color in the language.

When you come across a new term for a sibling, always check its usage and connotation. Is it formal, informal, affectionate, or even a bit teasing? Understanding the context is key to using the word correctly.

The best way to learn these terms naturally is through immersion. Pay attention to family dynamics in French movies, series, and books. Listening to how real families speak will give you a much deeper understanding than any vocabulary list.

For a deeper dive into vocabulary related to family, check out the WordReference forums for words like frère, sœur, or famille. These resources often contain discussions by native speakers that provide invaluable context.

I hope this article has clarified how to talk about siblings in French. To end, here is a fitting French proverb that speaks to the unique bond between siblings: On choisit ses amis, on ne choisit pas sa famille. (You can choose your friends, but you can't choose your family.)

'9 ways to say "sibling" in French'