KalamSister in Arabic
The Arabic word for sister is أخت (ukht), and "my sister" is أختي (ukhtī). Egyptians say it okhti, Levantines say ikhti, and Lebanese and Syrians also use خيتي (khayti). In Morocco it is ختي (khti). Ukhti is also a polite way to address a woman you don't know.
Literally: “sister”
Sister across the Arab world
Arabic changes from country to country. Here's what you'll actually hear.
Plural: أخوات (akhawāt). The formal word for a full sister is شقيقة (shaqīqa).
Same spelling, rounder vowel. "Your sister" is okhtak (to a man), okhtik (to a woman).
Levantineإختي / خيتيikhti / khaytiKhayti is Lebanese and Syrian; Palestinians and Jordanians mostly say ikhti or ukhti.
GulfأختيukhtiAlso the respectful way to address a woman you don't know.
DarijaختيkhtiMoroccan and Algerian. Also used casually with female friends.
Other ways to say sister
How to say it right
The sounds English speakers find tricky, and how to get them right.
Practise with feedbackThe kh is the rough sound in Scottish "loch," made at the back of the mouth. In ukht it runs straight into the t, so say "ukh-t" without adding a vowel between them.
Ukht begins with a soft glottal catch, like the break in "uh-oh."
The vowel shifts by dialect: ukhti in the Gulf, okhti in Egypt, ikhti in the Levant. All are correct.
Moroccan khti drops the first vowel entirely. Start straight on the kh: "khtee."
Example sentences
My sister is studying medicine.
LevantineMy sister got married last year.
EgyptianMy sister lives in Dubai.
GulfMy sister is two years older than me.
Standard (MSA)My sister works in Rabat.
DarijaUsing it like a local
Like "brother," ukhti reaches beyond family. Addressing a woman you don't know as ya ukhti is respectful and keeps things polite and non-flirtatious, which is why you'll hear it in shops, offices and mosques, especially in the Gulf.
Sisters are often the emotional center of an Arab family, and brothers tend to be protective of them. A sister's children call her brothers khāl (maternal uncle), a relationship that is famously close and affectionate.
Online, "ukhti" and "akhi" are common among Muslim users as a friendly, respectful way to address each other, even between strangers. Among close friends, though, a first name or ḥabībti (my dear) is far more common.
Sister: common questions
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What does ukhti mean?
أختي (ukhtī) means "my sister." Besides an actual sister, it is a polite way to address a woman, similar to "ma'am" or "sister," and among Muslims it carries a sense of sisterhood in faith.
What does khayti mean?
خيتي (khayti) means "my sister" in Lebanese and Syrian Arabic. It is an affectionate, everyday form used for real sisters and sometimes for close female friends.
What is the plural of sister in Arabic?
The plural is أخوات (akhawāt), "sisters." It is used in MSA and across the dialects, and it is also used for women in a community, such as a mosque or women's group.
How do you say "my little sister" in Arabic?
In MSA say أختي الصغيرة (ukhtī aṣ-ṣaghīra). Egyptians say okhti ṣ-ṣughayyara, Levantines say ikhti z-zghīre, and Gulf speakers say ukhti ṣ-ṣghīra. For "my older sister," use kabīra: ukhtī al-kabīra in MSA, ikhti l-kbīre in the Levant.
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