Family - Familia
Beginner Spanish · Family and relationships
Family Words in Spanish
Family vocabulary gives you plenty to talk about right away. Learn the words for close family members first, then add grandparents, cousins, aunts, uncles, and other relationships when you are ready.
Your next small win: name close family members, recognize common masculine and feminine pairs, and say a few simple things about your family.
Start close to home
Immediate Family
Begin with the people most likely to come up when someone asks about your family.
Talk about a sibling
You are talking about your brother. Say “my brother” in Spanish.
Mi hermano.
Grow the family tree
Grandparents and Other Relatives
Once the close family words feel familiar, add a few relatives you might mention at meals, celebrations, or when looking at family photos.
A useful plural: abuelos can refer to grandparents together.
Who made the cake?
Your grandmother made it. Answer with “My grandmother.”
Mi abuela.
Partners and relationships
Notice the pattern
Masculine and Feminine Family Words
Many family words come in closely related masculine and feminine forms. Learning them together can make both easier to remember.
Change the family member
If primo is a male cousin, what word from the lesson refers to a female cousin?
Prima.
Give the family words a story
Talking About Family Life
A family word is easier to remember when it appears inside a sentence about something people actually do.
Talk about one person
Choose one family word from the lesson and say mi before it.
Mi madre.
Mi hermano.
Mi abuela.
Mi prima.
Put the family into conversation
Everyday Conversations
Family words often come up when sharing food, telling stories, or looking at photos together.
At a family dinner
Looking at an old photo
Family and gatherings
The original lesson also notes that extended family can play an important role in everyday life in many Spanish-speaking countries, with gatherings that may include grandparents, aunts, uncles, cousins, and close family friends.
Family traditions vary from family to family and from place to place. The vocabulary in this lesson helps you talk about your own family and understand other people's family stories.
Your turn · 8 quick questions
Practice: Family Vocabulary
Choose the family word or phrase that fits each situation. The questions focus on the main vocabulary and examples from the lesson.
Practice complete
Your family vocabulary is growing.
A few family words to revisit
One last step: talk about your own family.
Choose three family members and name them in Spanish. Then say one complete sentence about one of them.
Mi madre.
Mi hermano.
Mi abuela.
Mi hermano toca la guitarra.
You want to talk about both your mother and father together. Which word is commonly used?
- padres
- padre
- madre
- hijos
Padre means father and madre means mother. Padres commonly refers to parents together.
padres = parents
Which Spanish word means “brother”?
- hermano
- hermana
- hijo
- tío
Hermano means brother. Hermana means sister.
hermano = brother; hermana = sister
You are talking about your grandparents together. Which word fits?
- abuelos
- abuelo
- abuela
- padres
Abuelo means grandfather and abuela means grandmother. Abuelos can refer to grandparents together.
abuelos = grandparents
Your female cousin makes the birthday cake. Which family word do you need?
- prima
- primo
- tía
- hija
Prima means female cousin. Primo means male cousin.
prima = female cousin; primo = male cousin
You are talking about someone's wife. Which word fits?
- esposa
- esposo
- novia
- tía
Esposa means wife and esposo means husband.
esposa = wife; esposo = husband
Someone asks who made the cake. Your grandmother did. Which response matches the lesson?
- Mi abuela. Ella cocina muy bien.
- Mi abuelo. Él cocina muy bien.
- Mi hermano. Él cocina muy bien.
- Mi primo. Él cocina muy bien.
Mi abuela means “my grandmother.” The lesson's conversation says that she cooks very well.
Mi abuela. Ella cocina muy bien.
You are looking at an old photo of your male cousin when he was five. Which sentence matches?
- Es mi primo cuando tenía cinco años.
- Es mi hermano cuando tenía cinco años.
- Es mi hijo cuando tenía cinco años.
- Es mi tío cuando tenía cinco años.
Primo means male cousin. The sentence identifies the boy in the photo as your cousin.
Es mi primo cuando tenía cinco años.
This summer you are going to travel with the whole family. Which sentence fits?
- Este verano vamos a viajar con toda la familia.
- Este verano vamos a trabajar con toda la familia.
- Este verano vamos a cenar con toda la familia.
- Este verano vamos a estudiar con toda la familia.
Vamos a viajar means “we are going to travel,” and toda la familia means “the whole family.”
Este verano vamos a viajar con toda la familia.