Family

In this lesson, you’ll learn the Spanish vocabulary for family members, how to describe family relationships, and how to use them in context.

👪 Immediate Family

Spanish	English
la familia	the family
el padre	father
la madre	mother
los padres	parents
el hijo	son
la hija	daughter
los hijos	children (sons/daughters)
el hermano	brother
la hermana	sister
los hermanos	siblings
el esposo / marido	husband
la esposa / mujer	wife

Examples:
Tengo dos hermanos y una hermana.
I have two brothers and one sister.
Mis padres viven en otra ciudad.
My parents live in another city.

👵 Extended Family

Spanish	English
el abuelo	grandfather
la abuela	grandmother
los abuelos	grandparents
el nieto	grandson
la nieta	granddaughter
los nietos	grandchildren
el tío	uncle
la tía	aunt
los tíos	uncles and aunts
el primo	male cousin
la prima	female cousin
los primos	cousins
el suegro	father-in-law
la suegra	mother-in-law
el yerno	son-in-law
la nuera	daughter-in-law
el cuñado	brother-in-law
la cuñada	sister-in-law

Examples:
Mis abuelos son muy cariñosos.
My grandparents are very loving.
¿Cuántos primos tienes?
How many cousins do you have?

🧒 Describing Family and Relationships

Spanish	English
mayor	older
menor	younger
único hijo / hija	only child
estar casado/a	to be married
estar soltero/a	to be single
estar divorciado/a	to be divorced
tener hijos	to have children
llevarse bien / mal	to get along well / badly
parecerse a	to look like (someone)

Examples:
Me llevo muy bien con mi hermana.
I get along very well with my sister.
Ella se parece a su madre.
She looks like her mother.

🗣️ Sample Dialog

A: Do you have siblings?
B: Yes, I have an older brother and a younger sister.
A: Do you live with your parents?
B: No, I live with my wife and two children.

📌 Cultural Tip

In many Spanish-speaking cultures, family ties are very close, and people often include extended family (like cousins, grandparents, and in-laws) in their daily lives and gatherings. It's also common to refer to close family friends as "tío/tía" or "primo/prima", even if they’re not blood relatives.

💬 Bonus Expressions

Spanish	English
Somos muy unidos	We are very close
Es como de la familia	He's like family
¡Qué familia tan grande!	What a big family!
Ella es la menor de tres	She’s the youngest of three

Example:
Somos una familia muy unida.
We are a very close family.