How to say "sister" in Japanese

• シスターCommon
  nounCovers the family sense of 'sister': a sibling, a girl or woman who shares a parent with you. A katakana loanword; typical context: describing your own or someone else's family.
• あまCommon
  nounCovers the religious sense: a Catholic nun, the woman English calls 'Sister'. Choose it when the person belongs to a religious community rather than your family; typical context: talking about convent life.
• 尼僧にそうCommon
  nounAlso covers the religious sense: a nun, 'Sister' in English. The two-kanji term for the religious figure; typical context: written or news discussion of nuns and convents.
  尼僧にそうはお祈いのりをして十字じゅうじを切きった。↗

  The nun prayed and crossed herself.

Use 「シスター」 for the family sense, a sister as a sibling; 「あま」 and 尼僧 both cover the religious sense, a nun — the person English calls 'Sister' — so pick either when religion, not family, is meant.

Usage comparisons are AI-assisted and cross-checked by multiple models; for study reference only

• シスターsister (sibling)
• 大姉だいしSister (i.e. a nun; sometimes used as a posthumous suffix)
• シスsister
• 修道女しゅうどうじょ(Catholic) nun
• 姉君あねぎみ(elder) sister
• 妹君いもうとぎみ(younger) sister
• あまCatholic nun
• 尼僧にそうCatholic nun
• 童貞どうてい(Catholic) nun
• Ｓエスsister (female partner in a homosexual relationship)