Dutch words for kids · Family
How to say “sister” in Dutch
Sister pairs with brother in the family songs. Learning both together helps kids notice how the language marks boys and girls.
Sister in Dutch
de zus
Sounds like ≈ duh ZUS
Good to know: Het zusje is "little sister". The u is a short sound, a bit like the u in "fur" cut short.
Hear it in a song
Real lines from our Dutch songs, with the English meaning shown in the app:
Doei, de zus!
Bye, sister!
from Mama en Papa (Mom and Dad)
Een klein zusje!
A little sister!
from Ik Heb, Jij Hebt (I Have, You Have)
The song that teaches it
“Sister” is one of the key words in this song. Every line is shown in Dutch with its English meaning.
Also sung in: Ik Heb, Jij Hebt.
Practice ideas for parents
- 1Introduce a doll or toy as "my zus" and let your child do the same.
- 2Look at family photos and point to sisters, cousins and aunts.
- 3Sing the family song and let siblings each take their own line.
Related Dutch words
“Sister” in other languages
Sing it in Dutch, free
The first unit, 6 greeting songs with lyrics and English translation, is free forever. No card needed. Premium unlocks all 134 songs.
About the pronunciation: the “sounds like” spellings are rough English approximations for parents (capital letters show the stressed syllable). Dutchhas sounds English doesn't, so treat them as a starting point and let the songs be the model. Songs are original and produced with AI music tools. Ideas for using Dutch songs with your family.