Is a step sister the same as a half sister?

Answer 1

Half-brother/Half Sister:

You and your Half-Sibling have a common mother OR father (but not both, obviously). Hence you share a biological and social relationship with your half sibling.

Step-brother/Step-sister:

You are not related to your Step-Sibling in a biological way. Your mother/father is married to one of the Step-Sibling's parents and this is the basis of this social relationship.

(A Half-Sibling shares one parent biologically; a Step-Sibling is by virtue of one parent each entering a marriage, with no blood relation.

Your Step brother/sister is already a child of your parent's new partner.

Your Half brother is a new child born to your parent and the spouce. )

EXAMPLE :

(Note children - John, Chris, Betty - are in italics for simplicity)

Jack and Jill were married and they have a son John.

Charles and Cynthia were married and they have a son Chris.

Now both couples got separated and then, Jack married Cynthia and entered in their marriage as guardians of John and Chris. So now John and Chris are Step-Brothers (by virtue of the marriage... note John and Chris are not related biologically).

Later on, Jack and Cynthia have a daughter of their own, Betty.

Now Betty is a half-sister to John (since they have a common biological parent... their father Jack)

Also, Betty is a half-sister to Chris (since they have a common biological parent... their Mother Cynthia)

Answer 2

A half sibling is a brother or sister who has one parent in common with you (eg: you both have the same mother, but different fathers). A step-sibling is a sibling who is related to you only by marriage of parents. In other words, your mother or father marries somebody else who already has children. Those children would become your step-siblings, since there is no mother or father in common between you and them.

Answer 3

No, not at all.

A step sister is a sister that you get when your mother or father re-marries to another person with kids. There kids become your step-siblings.

But a half sister is when one of your parents has a kid with someone other then your mother or father. So for example if your mother slept with a man besides your father and then had a baby that baby would be your half sister.

Answer 4

Step brother is already a sibling of your parent's new partner.

Half brother is a new sibling created by your parent and new partner.

Answer 5

A "half" brother or sister shares one parent biologically; a "step" brother or sister is by marriage, with no blood relation.