sista
SEE-stah
How to say it
SwahilisistaSEE-stah
English(religious) sister, nun; Sister (title)
Frenchreligieuse, sœur
Meaning
A woman who belongs to a religious order, especially a Catholic nun, and a title placed before her name: Sista Maria. It is a loan from English sister.
Good to know
N class noun, plural masista: masista wa Kanisa Katoliki, Catholic sisters. For a sibling Swahili uses dada; sista for a sibling is only slang.
Examples
- Sista Maria anafundisha katika shule ya wasichana.Sister Maria teaches at a girls' school.
- Masista walitembelea wagonjwa hospitalini.The nuns visited the sick in hospital.
- Aliamua kuwa sista baada ya kumaliza chuo.She decided to become a nun after finishing college.
Not yet checked by a native speaker.