If you’ve ever tried to translate siblings into French, you probably noticed… there’s no exact one-word equivalent!
French simply doesn’t have a gender-neutral term for “brothers and sisters.” But don’t worry — there are several natural ways to express this idea depending on the context.
1️⃣ The most common translation: frères et sœurs
The most natural and most common way to say siblings in French is les frères et sœurs, literally “brothers and sisters.”
Examples:
- I have three siblings → J’ai trois frères et sœurs.
- Do you get along with your siblings? → Tu t’entends bien avec tes frères et sœurs ?
2️⃣ When you want to be more specific
If you need to be precise, simply use frères or sœurs depending on the gender.
Examples:
- My brothers → Mes frères
- My sisters → Mes sœurs
And if you want to talk about older or younger siblings, you can say:
- Mes frères et sœurs aînés → my older siblings
- Mes frères et sœurs cadets / plus jeunes → my younger siblings
Example:
I have two younger siblings → J’ai deux frères et sœurs plus jeunes.
3️⃣ In more formal or descriptive contexts
Sometimes, French uses a specific word: la fratrie.
🧠 It’s a single French noun meaning the group of brothers and sisters in a family.
You might see it in administrative forms, newspaper articles, or simply in everyday conversation when describing a family.
Examples:
- Il est le plus jeune de la fratrie. → He is the youngest in the family.
- Vous êtes combien dans ta fratrie ? → How many siblings do you have?
- Une fratrie de quatre enfants → A sibling group of four children.
Note: Fratrie refers to the group as a whole, not to individual siblings.
You wouldn’t say “J’ai trois fratries” — that would mean you belong to three different families!
It’s perfectly fine in spoken French, but sounds a bit more neutral or descriptive than frères et sœurs.
4️⃣ Quick summary
| English | French | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| siblings | frères et sœurs | most common, natural |
| older siblings | frères et sœurs aînés | specify age |
| younger siblings | frères et sœurs cadets / plus jeunes | same idea |
| sibling group | fratrie | collective noun |
| my brother(s) / sister(s) | mon frère / ma sœur / mes frères / mes sœurs | gender-specific |
📝 Tip for learners
When in doubt, use frères et sœurs — it’s the most natural and universal option.
If you want to sound more fluent, you can also use:
- Mes frères et sœurs (my siblings)
- Notre fratrie (our sibling group, slightly more formal)
- Or simply say how many brothers or sisters you have:
“J’ai une sœur et un frère.” (I have two siblings)
⭐️ Quiz: Let’s Practice “Siblings” in French — frères et sœurs vs fratrie
A quick quiz to help you decide when to use frères et sœurs (general) and when fratrie (the group) fits best, with natural everyday examples.
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