When you enter the whole español working you will learn about them because family is the most important thing.
Spaniards spend as much time as possible with family members and relatives, making meals together, enjoying their company.
When a person has problems or issues of any kind, family is first to talk to and ask for help and advice, financial, moral or just to be there as a support.
Therefore, naturally, as a Spanish student, you need to know the words and phrases related to family and relatives.
So, besides mastering some Spanish words that can spice up your conversations, you should put on your ‘to learn’ list these 68 commonly used family words in Spanish we will provide for you.
So now, let’s get started.
Family Words in Spanish
As we’ve mentioned, family is the most important thing and a key part of Spanish-speaking countries.
No wonder they often repeat the phrase “La familia es todo.” (Family is everything.)
And they are right. Who will support you and help you in the moment of need but family?
So, in the following lines, you will get the opportunity to expand your Spanish vocabulary with family words in Spanish.
La familia (The Family)
- Madre- mother
- Mamá- mom
- Mami- mommy
- Padre- father
- famPapá- dad
- Papi- daddy
- Padres- parents
Example: Me gustaria conocer a tus padres.- I would like to meet your parents.
- Hermana- sister
- Hermana menor- younger sister
- Hermano- brother
- Hermano mayor- older brother
- Hermanos- siblings
- Niño- child
Example: John es mi hermano.- John is my brother.
Mi esposa y yo tenemos una hija y dos hijos.- My wife and I have one daughter and two sons.
Familia Extendida (Extended Family)
- Abuela- grandmother
- Abuelita- grandma
- Abuelo- grandfather
- Abuelito- grandpa
- Abuelos- grandparents
Example: Esto es mi abuelo y esta es mi abuelita.- This is my grandfather and this is my grandma.
- Nieta- granddaughter
- Nieto- grandson
- Tia- aunt
- Tio- uncle
- Prima- cousin (female)
- Primo- cousin (male)
- Primos- cousins
- Sobrina - niece
- Sobrino - nephew
La Nueva Familia (New Family)
Today, it is common that people divorce and remarry.
Their new partners often already have kids, who are our siblings, that is, stepbrothers and sisters.
Our new family in Spanish looks like this:
- Madrastra- stepmother
- Padrastro-stepfather
- Hijastro- stepson
- Hijastra -stepdaughter
- Hermanastro- step brother
- Hermanastra- step sister
- Medio hermano- half brother
- Media hermana- half-sister
La Familia Política ( Family In-law)
No, we won’t talk about politics even though it seems at first sight.
‘La familia politica’ means family members in-law.
So, let’s learn la familia politica.
- Suegra- mother-in-law
- Suegro- father-in-law
- Nuera- daughter-in-law
- Yerno- son-in-law
- Cuñada- sister-in-law
- Cuñado- brother-in-law
- Esposa- wife
- Esposo- husband
Example: Esta es mi esposa.- This is my wife.
How to Use Family Words in Sentences?
Now that you know family words in Spanish, it is time to learn to use them properly as well as with other phrases.
Describing a Family
When you want to describe your family in Spanish, you need to know three main things:
- Family words
- The verb ‘ser’
- Adjectives
According to this, it’s pretty easy to describe your family members.
The word order is the following:
Subject+the verb ‘ser’+adjective
Subject refers to family words
The verb ‘ser’ has to be conjugated properly, which depends on the subject you use.
Adjectives are used singular or plural, which, again, depends on the subject and the verb.
The verb ‘Ser’
As we’ve mentioned, describing your family isn’t so difficult. Besides knowing family words, which are subjects in the sentence, and an inevitable ver ‘ser.’
The verb ’ser’ (to be) is irregular and it looks like this.
Singular Plural
- Yo soy- I am 1. Nosotros/ nosotras somos- We are
- Tu es- You are 2. Vosotros/ vosotras sois- You are
- El/Ella/Usted es- He/She is 3. Ellos/ Ellas/ Ustedes son- they are
Possessive Adjectives For Talking About Family
Possessive adjectives are essential if you want to talk about family.
They are ‘mi/mis’ (my), ‘tu/tus’ (your), ‘su/sus’ (his,her), ‘nuestro/ nuestros’ (our) and they have to agree on gender and number with the words you use as a subject.
If you, for example, want to say ‘my mother,’ you say ‘mi madre,’ but if you want to say ‘my sisters’ you say ‘mis hermanas.’
Example: Mi mamá es enfermera. -My mum is a nurse.
Mi familia es grande. - My family is big.
Family-Related Verbs
- Casarse- to marry
- Divorciarse- to divorce
- Separarse- to separate
- Tener un hijo- to have a child
- Adoptar un nino- To adopt a child
- Ilevarse bien (con…)- to have a good relationship (with…)
- Ilevarse mal (con…)- to have a bad relationship (with…)
Other Family Words And Phrases in Spanish
- Conocer a la familia- o meet the family
- El árbol genealógico- family tree
- El recién nacido- newborn
- El primogénito- first-born/ eldest
- El hijo único- Only child
- El aniversario de bodas- wedding aniversary
- La fecha de nacimiento- date of birth
- El cumpleaños- birthday
- Los antepasados- ancestors
- El testamento- will, testament
- El heredero- heir
- Los mellizos- twins
- Los gemelos- identical twins
- Los trillizos- triplets
- Vecinos- neighbors
- Viuda- widow
- Viudo- widower
Final Thoughts
Now that you are informed about all the details that concern family words and phrases, are you ready to ‘Conocer a la familia?’
That way, not only will you remember these words better but you will certainly learn even more of them and how to use them, so your vocabulary will be on an impressive point.
If you're interested in improving your Spanish skills, you should try some of these cool options: Check out Babbel for fun, interactive lessons that fit into your day easily. If you want something more in-depth, there's a great Spanish course on Coursera that covers everything from the basics to more advanced topics. And if you prefer learning with a personal touch, Lingoda offers classes with native speakers that can really help you practice speaking.
What are some important family words in Spanish?
La familia - family, madre - mum, padre - dad, familia extendida - extended family
How to talk about family in Spanish?
When you want to describe your family in Spanish, you need to know three main things: Family words The verb ‘ser’ Adjectives According to this, it’s pretty easy to describe your family members. The word order is the following: Subject+the verb ‘ser’+adjective Subject refers to family words The verb ‘ser’ has to be conjugated properly, which depends on the subject you use. Adjectives are used singular or plural, which, again, depends on the subject and the verb.
