sister
sister — noun
1. a female sibling — the girl in a family who shares both parents, or one parent,
a female sibling — the girl in a family who shares both parents, or one parent, with another child.
Adaeze and her younger sister shared a bedroom until she finished high school.
possessive determiner + sister: 'her younger sister'
Dewi's older sister taught her how to ride a bicycle when she was six.
possessive + 'older sister'
Mira's baby sister just learned to walk last month.
Salma waved goodbye to her sister at the train station before moving to Tokyo.
- sibling
gender-neutral term; can refer to a brother or a sister
- half-sister
specifically a sister who shares one parent, not both
- brother
male sibling
文法句型
my/her/his sister
older/younger/little/big sister
twin/half/stepsister
用法筆記
Commonly preceded by a modifier such as 'older', 'younger', 'little', 'big', 'twin', 'half', or 'step' to specify the relationship. 'Half-sister' means you share one parent; 'stepsister' means your parent married her parent and there is no blood relation.
常見錯誤
2. a woman or girl who is not related to you by birth but who treats you with the k
a woman or girl who is not related to you by birth but who treats you with the kindness, loyalty, and emotional support expected from a family sister — a very close female friend.
Devika has been like a sister to me ever since we met in college.
'like a sister to [someone]' for a close non-relative friendship
Hana considers the four women in her book club her sisters.
When Antonia lost her job, her neighbour Marta was a true sister — cooking meals and helping with the résumé.
Devika's colleagues call each other sisters because their team supports one another through every challenge.
- close friend
neutral term for a trusted companion
- confidante
a woman you trust with secrets; more formal
- best friend
the closest level of friendship
文法句型
like a sister to [someone]
be sisters (figurative)
用法筆記
Often used figuratively in phrases like 'like a sister' or 'she is a sister to me.' This sense does not imply a blood or legal family bond. In informal Taiwan speech, terms like '好姊妹' (good sisters) or '閨密' (bestie) convey a similar meaning.
常見錯誤
3. a fellow female activist, especially one working alongside you for women's right
a fellow female activist, especially one working alongside you for women's rights or gender equality — someone fighting the same social struggle.
Greta spoke at the conference about the bond among sisters in the global women's movement.
'sisters in [movement]' — sense of solidarity in a shared cause
The activists marched together, calling each other sisters in the fight for equal pay.
A network of sisters from across the region gathered to plan the next campaign.
At the community centre, local sisters help young women apply for college scholarships.
文法句型
sisters in [cause/movement]
our sisters (collective address)
用法筆記
This sense carries a strong connotation of solidarity and shared political purpose. It is common in activist, feminist, and social-justice contexts. In Taiwan, similar usage appears in women's rights groups and NGO campaigns.
4. a friendly way to call out to a woman whose name you do not know, similar to say
a friendly way to call out to a woman whose name you do not know, similar to saying 'miss' in a casual setting.
'Excuse me, sister, do you know where the library is?' the young woman asked.
vocative use at the start of a question
Ari turned to the woman beside him and said, 'Sister, can you help me find platform three?'
The cashier smiled at the customer and said, 'Thank you, sister, have a great evening.'
'Don't worry, sister, I will hold the door for you,' the student called out with a smile.
文法句型
Sister, ... (at the start of a sentence)
用法筆記
Used informally, especially within African American, Caribbean, and some Asian communities as a friendly or respectful way to address a woman. In Taiwan, the equivalent '姊妹' is used in certain subcultures (e.g. church groups, online forums), but '小姐' or '美女' are more common in everyday public address.
常見錯誤
5. a woman who commits to living in a faith-based community, taking vows of service
a woman who commits to living in a faith-based community, taking vows of service and prayer — typically referred to as a nun.
Sister Mary teaches English at the Catholic school near the old church.
title 'Sister' + first name — formal address for a nun
The sisters at the convent run a shelter for homeless families in the winter.
Christopher visited the mission and spoke with Sister Teresa about the food programme.
The sisters at the mission teach children to read and write in the after-school programme.
- nun
more general term; interchangeable in most contexts
- religious sister
more formal; distinguishes from a 'sister' in the family sense
- brother
male member of a religious order (e.g. Brother John)
文法句型
Sister [Name]
the sisters at [convent/mission]
用法筆記
When used as a title before a name, 'Sister' is capitalized (e.g. Sister Agnes). The term is used across Catholic, Orthodox, Anglican, and some Buddhist traditions. In Taiwan, '修女' (xiūnǚ) is the standard term for Catholic nuns.
常見錯誤
6. a senior woman on a hospital ward who oversees patient care, manages the nursing
a senior woman on a hospital ward who oversees patient care, manages the nursing team, and reports to the doctors on the floor.
The ward sister checked each patient's chart before the doctor arrived for rounds.
'the ward sister' — specific hospital role
Ilan asked the sister on duty whether his grandmother could receive more visitors.
Sister Chen has worked as the head nurse in the emergency department for twelve years.
The night sister checks that every patient in the ward receives the correct medicine on time.
- charge nurse
gender-neutral modern term widely used today
- head nurse
common in US hospitals; less specific than 'ward sister'
文法句型
the ward sister
Sister [surname] (as title)
用法筆記
This sense is primarily British. In the UK, 'ward sister' or simply 'sister' is the traditional title for a senior female nurse in charge of a ward. In the US, the equivalent is 'head nurse' or 'charge nurse.' In Taiwan, the equivalent role is '護理長' (hùlǐzhǎng) or '護理督導.' This usage is becoming less common as gender-neutral terms like 'charge nurse' replace it.
常見錯誤
7. a woman who belongs to the same college club, trade union, or professional body
a woman who belongs to the same college club, trade union, or professional body as you — your fellow member in an organisation for women.
The sorority sisters at the University of Michigan organized a charity run for cancer research.
'sorority sisters' — fellow female members of a college club
Union sisters voted together to support the new contract for fair wages.
Every new member of the association is welcomed as a sister during the induction ceremony.
The Delta Gamma sisters raised over ten thousand dollars for the local food bank.
- member
gender-neutral; less specific about the relationship
- fellow member
emphasizes shared membership without gender specificity
文法句型
sorority sister
union sister
[group name] sister
用法筆記
Common in American college culture, where sororities are social organizations for female students. Also used in labour unions ('union sisters') to express solidarity among female workers. In Taiwan, the closest equivalent is '學姊妹' (sister in the same school or club lineage), used in university clubs and fraternity-like organizations.
常見錯誤
sister — adjective
1. used before a noun to show that a business, ship, school, or other institution i
used before a noun to show that a business, ship, school, or other institution is part of the same larger group as another, normally under one parent body.
The Tokyo restaurant chain shares a delivery network with its sister company in Bangkok.
'sister company' — a company under the same parent group
Two sister ships from the same cruise line docked at the port this morning.
The Taipei office works closely with its sister branch in Kaohsiung on client projects.
Mercy Hospital is a sister institution of the medical school, sharing faculty and research resources.
- affiliated
more formal; implies a formal connection but not necessarily the same owner
- associated
general term for connected entities; broader than 'sister'
文法句型
sister [company/ship/branch/organisation]
用法筆記
This adjective is always used before a noun — you cannot say 'this company is sister.' Common word partnerships include 'sister company,' 'sister ship,' 'sister school,' 'sister organisation,' 'sister city' (a city twinned with another), and 'sister branch.' In Chinese (Taiwan), the equivalent prefix is '姊妹' (e.g. 姊妹公司, 姊妹校, 姊妹市).