to visit my family in spanish

Family in Spanish: 60+ Phrases to Talk About Your Family Members in Spanish (La familia)

Learning the Spanish words for immediate and extended family members is the foundation for discussing your loved ones.

From “ madre ” (mother) and “ padre ” (father) to “ abuelo ” (grandfather) and “ prima ” (cousin), we’ll cover the essential vocabulary to introduce and describe your family in Spanish accurately.

Spring Spanish , a project I co-founded with my friend and colleague Gabriel Gelman from Sprachheld (the biggest language learning blog in Germany), made a great on how to actually talk about family in Spanish:

Beyond individual words, you’ll need to master phrases and chunks to take on meaningful conversations about your family. We’ll explore chunks like “ mi familia es muy unida ” (my family is very close) and “ somos una familia numerosa ” (we’re a large family).

Let’s read on!

1. Talk about family members in Spanish: Parents and Step-parents

Talking about family in Spanish is a bit different than in other languages. It’s probably because in Spanish-speaking regions, family still has its traditional values.

In Spanish, some relatives can be referred to with more than one word. Like for father, you can say:

and for mother, you could say:

Children commonly use mamá and papá to address their parents, but it’s important to note that these words require an accent on the final syllable to avoid confusion with other meanings.

The term padres refers to parents in general and can also be the plural form of father.

Be mindful that parientes means relatives and should not be used when you want to speak about your parents. It’s a Spanish false friend .

Here’s a table with all of the mentioned phrases for family in Spanish.

When you’re talking about step-parents or adoptive parents, you would use these terms:

2. Children in Spanish

Spanish nouns are gendered, so the plural forms of nouns change also based on whether they refer to males or females. Hijos refers to a group of male children or a mixed group of male and female children. And can you guess what hijas is – it is the word for a group of female children.

When referring to step-children, the terms used are:

Note: The terms hijastro/a specifically refer to step-children from the perspective of the step-parent. The biological parent would still use hijo/a for their biological children in a mixed family situation.

3. Spanish vocabulary for your Significant Other

Here are some common ways to talk about your significant other (SO) in Spanish:

When introducing your SO:

• Te presento a mi novio/a Juan – Let me introduce you to my boyfriend/girlfriend Juan
• Él/Ella es mi esposo/a – He/She is my husband/wife

So using Spanish nouns, possessive adjectives, nicknames and descriptive phrases, you can express your relationship status.

You can also check out romantic phrases in Spanish or how to say I love you in Spanish . If you’d like to describe your family relationship with your partner, you can say these chunks:

4. Extended family in Spanish

And since we already know a lot about close family and nuclear family, let’s take a look at how you can also introduce your extended family.

5. In-laws in Spanish

Getting introduced to your in-laws is always an exciting but somewhat frightening experience.

Don’t worry, we’ve got you covered! Spring Spanish gives you 6 tips to make a great impression on your in-laws in Spanish:

And what are the family phrases you can use? Check them out!

6. How to talk about la familia in Spanish

At this point, you already know which Spanish words and chunks you can use to mention your family members. But what happens if you want to describe them as a whole?

Are you a nuclear family? A large family? A single-parent family?

Here’s everything you need to know about these Spanish phrases.

7. Practice family vocabulary with our Practice Worksheet Library

Fill in the blanks with the correct words!

This is just part of the exercise… and we have many more in our Full Practice Worksheet Library: click the button here to request access!

8. Practice family vocabulary in Spanish with Conversation Based Chunking

The concept of the Conversation Based Chunking method will help you learn family vocabulary in Spanish. With this method, instead of memorizing individual words, you focus on common phrases and expressions while immersing yourself in the language.

Instead of just knowing “ tío ” (uncle) and “ prima ” (cousin), learn conversational chunks like “ Mi tío Juan es muy divertido ” (My uncle Juan is very funny) or “ Mis primas y yo somos muy unidas ” (My cousins and I are very close).

Conversation Based Chunking also helps you grasp the flow of Spanish conversations, which can be quite different from English. Sign up now to get access to the Spanish Conversation Based Chunking Starter Pack.

Lukas is the founder of Effortless Conversations and the creator of the Conversation Based Chunking™ method for learning languages. He's a linguist and wrote a popular book about learning languages through "chunks". He also co-founded the language education company Spring Languages, which creates online language courses and YouTube content.

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Home » Articles » How to Say “Family” in Spanish – and How to Talk About Your Family Members

Full disclosure: This post contains affiliate links. ?

written by Alice Cimino

Language: Spanish

Reading time: 11 minutes

Published: May 31, 2021

Updated: Apr 12, 2024

How to Say “Family” in Spanish – and How to Talk About Your Family Members

Family in Spanish culture is a really important concept, and the word for family in Spanish is similar to English, familia . Read on for everything you need to know to talk about your family in Spanish.

Here’s what we’ll talk about:

Table of contents

How to say “family” in spanish: familia, how to say “my family” in spanish: mi familia, rules of gender and number agreement and the spanish family members collectives, spanish nicknames for family members, how to say “i love my family” in spanish, more spanish sentences and phrases about family, now you can talk about family in spanish.

I grew up torn by my dual nationality, never knowing where I belonged. The number of countries I’ve lived in is greater than the number of years I spent living in my birthplace. For these reasons, I’ve grown up knowing that home isn’t a place. Home is the people you love. And the people I love the most are my family!

You can bet your target language I’ll teach you all you need to know about family vocabulary in Spanish.

Grab a pen and a notepad, and let’s get started!

As I mentioned, in Spanish, “family” is familia .

If you want to go a little more in-depth, you can learn the different types of family categorization in Spanish:

• la familia inmediata – “immediate family”
• la familia extendida – “extended family”
• la familia ensamblada or la familia reconstituida – “stepfamily” or “reconstituted family”
• la familia política – “in-laws”
• la familia adoptiva – “adoptive family” or “foster family”

Let’s pause a second and come back to familia and “family”. Notice how similar the two words look. This is a huge advantage for you!

Familia and “family” are cognates, words from different languages that share the same root and meaning and are pronounced similarly.

Cognates are an amazing way to learn hundreds of words in your target language with almost no effort. You shouldn’t miss out on this opportunity! When it comes to language learning, hacking your way to your goal is allowed. 😉

And I’m not the only one to say so! Benny Lewis encourages you to take advantage of cognates in his guide Why Spanish is Easy .

So yes, remember how similar familia and “family” are.

And while we’re looking at cognates with the “famil-” root, it’s worth learning that “familiar” in Spanish is familiar ! The words are spelled exactly the same, only the pronunciation changes.

You’ve learned how to say “family” in Spanish. Great!

But if you want talk about family in Spanish, chances are you will talk about your family. So how do you say “ my family” in Spanish? The answer is mi familia .

In Spanish, the possessive pronoun mi is the equivalent of the English “my”.

Now you might be curious about how to say “your family” in Spanish. Or how to say “family” with any other possessive pronoun.

Here are the answers:

• mi familia – “my family”
• tu familia – “your family” (with tú and vos )
• su familia – “his/her/their/your family” (with usted and ustedes )
• nuestra familia – “our family”
• vuestra familia – “your family” (with vosotros and vosotras )

If you want to learn more about possessive adjectives in Spanish, check out this guide !

How to Say “Family Member” in Spanish: Miembro de la Familia

“Family member” in Spanish is miembro de la familia , which literally translates to “member of the family”.

But we don’t always say “family member” in English. Sometimes, we also use the word “relative”. In Spanish, “relative” is pariente . (In Latin America, you can also hear it as familiar .)

Now that you know how to say “family member”, I can imagine you wondering: what are the family members in Spanish?

How coincidental, I was just about to give you a list!

Actually, to make learning easier, I’ll give you four lists! They’re based on the different categorizations of family you learned earlier.

Familia Inmediata – “Immediate Family”

• la esposa or la mujer – “the wife”
• el esposo or el marido – “the husband”
• la madre – “the mother”
• el padre – “the father”
• la hija – “the daughter”
• el hijo – “the son”
• la hermana – “the sister”
• el hermano – “the brother”

Familia Extendida – “Extended Family”

• la tía – “the aunt”
• el tío – “the uncle”
• la sobrina – “the niece”
• el sobrino – “the nephew”
• el primo (hermano) / la prima (hermana) – “the (first) cousin”
• el primo segundo / la prima segunda – “the second cousin”
• la nieta – “the grand-daughter”
• el nieto – “the grandson”
• la abuela – “the grandmother”
• el abuelo – “the grandfather”
• la bisnieta – “the great-granddaughter”
• el bisnieto – “the great-grandson”
• la bisabuela – “the great-grandmother”
• el bisabuelo – “the great-grandfather”

Familia Reconstituida – “Stepfamily”

• la madrastra – “the stepmother”
• el padrastro – “the stepfather”
• la hermanastra – “the stepsister”
• el hermanastro – “the stepbrother”
• medio hermano or hermano de padre/madre – “half-brother”
• media hermana or hermana de padre/madre – “half-sister”
• la hijastra – “the stepdaughter”
• el hijastro – “the stepson”

Familia Política “In-Laws”

• la suegra – “the mother-in-law”
• el suegro – “the father-in-law”
• la consuegra – “the mother-in-law of one’s son/daughter”
• el consuegro – “the father-in-law of one’s son/daughter”
• la cuñada – “the sister-in-law”
• el cuñado – “the brother-in-law”
• la nuera – “the daughter-in-law”
• el yerno – “the son-in-law”

Here’s a chart you can download to keep these lists at hand!

We shouldn’t forget to mention the “godparent family”:

• la madrina – “the godmother”
• el padrino – “the godfather”
• la ahijada – “the goddaughter”
• el ahijado – “the godson”

Nouns in Spanish have a gender: they’re either feminine or masculine.

As you could see in the lists, most of the nouns go in pairs and share the same root ( hermano and hermana , suegro and suegra ).

It’s the endings that make the difference: most of the feminine nouns end in -a ( hermana and suegra ) and most of the masculine ones end in -o ( hermano and suegro ).

Nouns in Spanish also change in function of the number ( hermano and hermanos , nieta and nietas ). This isn’t too hard to learn, because nouns can be singular or plural in English, too (“brother” and “brothers”, “niece” and “nieces”).

There could be some confusion when it comes to the use of collective versus plural, though. But that’s what we’re about to clarify.

The collective terms are those that group people, like “parents” and “siblings”.

Fun fact: English lacks a collective term for “uncle(s) and aunt(s)”, but Spanish has los tíos .

For family members in Spanish, the collective terms are the plural of the masculine nouns. It’s very simple: “the parents” are los padres and “the siblings” are los hermanos . However, using the plural of masculine nouns only works when the nouns you’re referring to are either all masculine or mixed masculine and feminine.

In other words, use los hermanos if you’re talking about several brothers or a mix of brothers and sisters. If you’re only talking about sisters, use the feminine plural: las hermanas .

If you think about it, the same happens in English: you would say “the siblings” if there is a brother and a sister, but “the sisters” if you’re only talking about female siblings.

When you love someone, you rarely call them by their name or their formal title. In Spanish, there are plenty of ways to nickname your family members!

Let’s start with the parents. Madre y padre are rarely used outside of formal context or adult conversation. With your family and friends, or if you’re addressing a child, you would tend to use:

• la mamá – “the mom”
• el papá – “the dad”
• los papás – “the parents”

The more affectionate terms are mami and papi .

In some Latin American countries, since mami stands for “mom”, grandmothers are often dubbed mamá . It confused me the first time I heard it, but it’s sweet when you get used to it.

Speaking of grandparents… Many families get creative when nicknaming their grandparents, and Spanish gives you plenty of opportunities for that. Here are some of the most common terms for grandparents:

• abu or abue (for both grandparents)
• yaya and yayo
• nana and nono

We could go on and on with this because Spanish is a language with a lot of room for love.

Instead, I’ll show you a trick. There is a simple way to create nicknames in Spanish, and that is by adding the diminutive suffix -ito/a at the end of words.

Here are some examples:

• abuelita and abuelito
• hermanita and hermanito
• primita and primito

This trick doesn’t work with mamá and papá or mami and papi , but it does with most of the Spanish names for family members!

Having a loving family is a beautiful thing, and it’s nice to acknowledge it.

If you ever want to talk about your family in Spanish and say “I love my family”, you have two options:

• Quiero a mi familia.
• Amo a mi familia.

Yes, Spanish has several ways to say “I love…” .

Usually, the verb querer (“to love” or “to want”) is used to express sweet, mild love. On a scale from “friendship” to “passion”, it’s closer to friendship. Amar (“to love”) defines a much stronger love.

There are other phrases that you can use to recognize your love for your family. You could say “family is everything”, for example. In Spanish, “family is everything” is translated to la familia lo es todo . Todo means “everything”.

If you’d rather say “family forever”, in Spanish you should say la familia es para siempre . Or maybe you’re more of a “family first” kind of person? “Family first” is la familia primero in Spanish.

Ready for some more family-related vocabulary? Let’s talk about other family-related phrases you might hear in Spanish.

First, let’s work on learning the Spanish version of “How is your family?” After all, asking about someone’s family is a nice way to show you care about them. One of the ways to ask that in Spanish is by saying ¿Cómo está tu familia?

There are more phrasings to ask how someone is doing in Spanish, and you can learn them from this post on Spanish greetings .

When you think of family, you might think of your family tree. In Spanish, a family tree is un árbol genealógico . This literally translates to “a genealogical tree”. So to say “my family tree”, you would say mi árbol genealógico .

If you’ve ever watched a telenovela , you might be familiar with the dramatized Hispanic family feuds on TV. In Spanish, a “family feud” is una disputa familiar .

But not all families are torn by conflict. In fact, Hispanic families are known to be large and loving. If you want to tell your friend they’ve got a “beautiful family” in Spanish, you would call it una hermosa familia . In a sentence, that would be Tienes una hermosa familia. (“You have a beautiful family.”)

Spanish has a few sayings related to family. One of them goes Cuando seas padre, comerás huevo . It’s the equivalent of “You’ll understand when you’ll be older”, but it literally translates to “You will eat eggs when you’ll be a father.”

Benny Lewis, the founder of Fluent in 3 Months , tells you all about this quote in this post about Spanish sayings . He also mentions other quotes that revolve around family!

You’re ready to include family vocabulary in your Spanish conversations!

Maybe you could tell your italki tutor (our review is here ) about it and ask them if you can practice talking about family.

Or maybe you’d like to join the Fluent in 3 Months Challenge family and prove yourself that you can have a 15-minute conversation in your target language in 90 days!

If you’re looking for more vocabulary to learn, you could start by checking out the 101 core Spanish words .

If you’re ready for something a little stronger, try working on conjugation! Reflexive verbs are a good starting point.

In any case, you’re doing great! Learning a new language is a challenge, and you’re on the right path.

I have to go video call my family now. ¡Hasta luego! (“See you soon!”)

Alice Cimino

Student, Freelance Content Creator

Alice is an undergraduate student who loves fiction, languages, and challenges. She's a bilingual by birth and a quadrilingual by consequence .

Speaks: French, Italian, Spanish, English

Have a 15-minute conversation in your new language after 90 days

Spanish about Family – Vocabulary and Phrases

Hi everybody! In this post we are going to learn how to talk about our family , as well as asking others about their family .

We will start with some questions and answers , and then review some vocabulary lists with all the words we need.

Enjoy and become an expert at talking in Spanish about family! 👨‍👩‍👧‍👦

Vocabulary – Family Members

Other vocabulary.

¿Tienes hijos? Do you have children? Sí, tengo un hijo y una hija. Yes, I have a son and a daughter. ¿Cómo se llama tu hijo? What is your son’s name? Mi hijo se llama Luis. My son’s name is Luis. ¿Cómo se llaman tus padres? What are your parents’ names? Mis padres se llaman Paco y Ángela. My parents’ names are Paco and Ángela. ¿Tienes hermanos? Do you have siblings? Tengo dos hermanos y una hermana. I have two brothers and a sister. ¿Cuántos años tiene tu hermana? How old is your sister? Mi hermana tiene veinte años. My sister is twenty years old. ¿Dónde vive tu familia? Where does your family live? Mi familia vive en México. My family lives in Mexico.

In order to form the plural of any of these terms, as soon as there is one male we use the masculine form as our basis. For example:

• el padre = the father
• la madre = the mother
• los padres = the parents
• el hermano = the brother
• la hermana = the sister
• los hermanos = the siblings (as well as “the brothers”)
• las hermanas = the sisters

Other Terms

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How to discuss your family members in Spanish - from tíos to tatara tatarabuelas

Marco Monroy

They say family is everything, so will learning how to talk about your family members in Spanish give you full mastery of the language?

Erm… not quite. But it can get you close! While families are incredibly important across cultures all over the world, the concept of family takes on a whole new meaning in Spanish-speaking cultures.

Not only do Spanish speakers tend to have more siblings, cousins, aunts, and uncles, but they also tend to be a lot closer with their extended family. If you come from the United States–or any other country that speaks a Germanic language –you’ll likely have a very different perspective on all things family.

Learning to talk about family members in Spanish can help you:

• Describe your family more easily.
• Make deeper connections with people you meet by asking them about their families.
• Give people more details about your background .
• Understand more Spanish phrases and idioms.
• Earn a deeper appreciation for Spanish family culture.

As you can see, learning to talk about family in Spanish has many benefits that go beyond just you and your family. There’s a lot to cover with this blog, so let’s get started!

Family in Spanish

No matter how large or complicated your family may be, we’ll provide you with a full family members in Spanish list. So, whether you come from a traditional family or a modern family , we promise we’ve got you covered!

But first things first: let’s talk about how to actually say family in Spanish. Luckily, you probably won’t have to spend more than a couple of minutes learning it!

Interested in your family history?

Immediate family members in spanish.

If all you really care about is how to say mom in Spanish, then this section’s for you. If you’re very close with your nuclear family, you’ll want to know how to talk about your parents and siblings in Spanish as you make your way through the Spanish-speaking countries .

Extended family in Spanish

As you may have heard, Hispanic cultures tend to be much closer with their extended family. A recent study on Mexicans and Puerto Ricans living in the United States concluded that Latinos have a higher incidence of coresidence with and involvement in the lives of extended family members.

As you’ll see later on in this article, big families are a big part of Hispanic cultures. So, even if you’re not super close with all your relatives, learning how to talk about your extended family in Spanish is definitely a great idea!

Family members by marriage - Step and in-laws

Getting married is one of the biggest decisions you can make in your life. And, as they say, you don’t just marry the person–you marry their whole family. So, whether you’re about to tie the knot, or just can’t help but picture yourself living your best married life, here is what you should call your in-laws in Spanish.

Other family-related terms in Spanish

Beyond just family members, there are plenty of family-related words that you should learn when talking about families in Spanish. These words will help you express yourself more naturally and accurately when discussing anything related to your or anyone else’s family!

Nicknames for family members in Spanish

If you’ve been studying Spanish for a while or have spent any time in a Spanish-speaking country, you probably already know that Spanish speakers love using nicknames. From terms of endearment to Spanish slang words , informal speech is a quick way to show closeness and affection with your family and friends.

Talking about family in day to day situations

Learning all the family members in Spanish can take a while, especially if you’re just starting to learn . However, there’s no reason not to start using a few words right away. Here are some sample questions and answers that you can use, whether you want to learn more about someone’s family or want to share details about your fam!

Oh, and since many of us love our furry family just like the rest of our family, we’ve included a Q&A on how to talk about your pets in Spanish! Check out our blog on animals in Spanish to learn about over 200 different animals!

Common conversation

The questions and answers above weren’t a part of a full conversation. If you’re itching to see what a typical conversation about family could be like, here’s a sample. This would be an appropriate conversation between two people who just met and are starting to get to know each other, whether in a romantic way or just as friends!

Age is one of the most common things to mention when talking about your family. Of course, knowing the numbers in Spanish is a prerequisite to talking about age in Spanish. If you’re not feeling confident about your counting abilities in Spanish, head over to our numbers blog first to get a refresher!

Describing your family in Spanish

Once you’ve established the introductory facts such as the number of relatives and their age, the next step is to get even more descriptive. What are they like? Do they look like you? Is your family growing still? Here are a few examples of how to describe your family in Spanish, but feel free to get as creative as you’d like!

Family-related Spanish idioms

One of the most fun parts of learning a new language is acquiring all the wisdom and cultural tidbits that come from phrases and idioms. There are hundreds of popular family-related Spanish idioms, and we’ve included some of our favorites in the table below.

Videos to learn how to talk about family in Spanish

Meet my familia speaking about your family in spanish.

If this is your very first time learning about family in Spanish, then you will surely need to spend some time covering the basics. In addition to reviewing our vocabulary sheets above, you should watch a few introductory videos to help you nail down the pronunciation!

The following video goes over the most common family members and Spanish. Make sure to participate when requested so that you start getting comfortable with speaking about the family in Spanish!

Asking and Answering Family Questions in Spanish

If you’re at an intermediate Spanish level , you’re probably looking for something more intricate. You’re probably already having conversations and are perhaps even meeting people in Spanish . And what better way to get to know someone than by asking them about their family?

The following video covers some very helpful family questions you can ask someone. It also goes over how to answer some of these questions. Now you don’t have an excuse to get flustered next time someone asks about your family!

Learn Spanish Conversation | Family Members

If you’re a more advanced Spanish learner , then this is the video for you. Talking about your family members is a great way to practice indirect speech, and this casual conversation between two friends shows exactly that.

Put your listening skills to the test with the following conversation!

Cultural considerations when it comes to family in Spanish

1. families are much bigger.

It may be a stereotype, but it’s one that’s been proven true by many studies. According to Pew Research , Hispanic families in the US are the biggest of all race groups, on average.

So, don’t be surprised by the average size of a family in Latin America!

2. Gender roles are more defined

Although this has been changing in recent years, traditional gender roles are still very prevalent in Latin America . You’ll find that boys are often encouraged to go to college and start businesses while girls aren’t.

Thanks to feminist movements across Latin America, the importance of traditional gender roles is slowly fading. These days, it’s not uncommon for women to be successful in business and hold important corporate positions. However, there’s still a long way to go for gender equality, as only 4.2% of CEOs in Latin America were female as of 2019.

3. Children can live with parents until marriage

If you come from the United States, you’re probably used to the notion that children are supposed to move out of their parent's house when they go to college or when they turn 18. However, this is very different in Hispanic cultures.

Not only do many people in Latin America live with their parents through college, but many actually stay or move back in after graduation. Of course, this varies from family to family, but the expectation is that children are allowed to live with their parents until they get married.

4. Children are expected to care for their parents

In the United States, most adults are expected to plan for their retirement. Choosing when and how to retire is everyone’s personal decision, so you’re expected to save enough money to sustain the retirement lifestyle you envision for yourself.

In Latin America, this isn’t often the case. While children are usually allowed to live with their parents until they’re much older, they’re also expected to have a bigger role in caring for their parents once they reach retirement age.

Again, every family is different, so caring for parents can be anywhere from providing minor financial assistance, to having your mom live with you! It’s also worth noting that daughters share a larger responsibility –again, likely due to traditional gender norms.

Keep practicing to avoid losing your familiarity with Spanish!

We hope you’ve enjoyed learning about all the family members in Spanish! We know that our list is quite extensive, so don’t try to rush your way through our family members in Spanish list . Just keep practicing the Spanish terms for family in your daily life and you’ll arrive at mastery in no time! If you enjoyed this blog, check out our Spanish blog for even more free Spanish study resources!

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Mi Familia (My Family) Posted by sasha on Aug 2, 2017 in Spanish Grammar

One of the best ways for beginners of any language to practice is by talking about your family. By giving basic details such as name, age, and job for your family members, you get to practice making introductions several times. You can also practice asking other people about their family members to get you familiar with question words and structures. To help you out, here’s a Spanish lesson on “Mi Familia.” Let’s start with the Spanish vocabulary you’ll need.

Family Vocabulary

La fiesta con mi familia!

familia padres/papás padre papá madre mamá hijos/niños hijo hija hermanos hermano hermana esposo/esposa esposo/marido esposa/mujer abuelos abuelo abuela parientes tío tía primo/prima sobrino sobrina nietos nieto nieta suegro suegra cuñado cuñada yerno nuera padrastro madrastra hermanastro hermanastra hijastro hijastra medio hermano media hermana English

family parents father dad mother mom children son daughter siblings brother sister spouse husband wife grandparents grandfather grandmother relatives uncle aunt cousin nephew niece grandchildren grandson granddaughter father in law mother in law brother in law sister in law son in law daughter in law stepfather stepmother stepbrother stepsister stepson stepdaughter half brother half sister

Question and Answer

Hermanos y hermanas

Now that you’ve got your family tree down  en español , it’s time to do a little Q&A. Here are some common questions you might ask/get asked about family members:

¿Cómo se llama su…? What is your …’s name?

Se llama/llamo… her/his name is…, ¿en que trabaja (él/ella) what does he/she do, (él/ella) es… he/she is a/an…, ¿cuántos años tiene (él/ella) how old is he/she, (él/ella) tiene… años. he/she is… years old., ¿dónde vive (él/ella) ¿dónde viven (ellos/ellas) where does he/she live where do they live, (él/ella) vive en…/(ellos/ellas) viven en… he/she lives in…/they live in…, ¿tiene hijos (él/ella) does he/she have children, sí, (él/ella) tiene… hijos./no, (él/ella) no tiene hijos. yes, he/she has… children./no, he/she doesn’t have children..

Note that once you’ve established the subject and their gender, you don’t really need to use pronouns in follow-up questions. If you’re continuing the conversation about the same person/people, you can drop the pronouns after the first question. Go ahead and try to answer some of those questions about people in your family to practice!

Mi familia es muy grande!

Combine all of that and try to introduce your family in Spanish. I’ll go first! Keep in mind that I’m still a super beginner, so I’m focusing on the basics here.

Mi familia es muy grande. Tengo seis hermanos – cuatro hermanos y dos hermanas. Soy el mayor. Tengo treinta y dos años.

Mi papá es doctor y mi mamá es enfermera. ambos trabajan en un hospital..

Mi esposa es muy bonita! Soy un chico afortunado!

Ya soy casado. Mi esposa se llama Rachel. Ella solo tiene un hermano. Ella también tiene una madrastra y un padrastro. Su familia me cae muy bien. Todavía no tenemos hijos.

Tengo abuelos por parte de mi madre. también tengo muchos tíos, tías, y primos., todavía no tengo sobrinos ni sobrinas, porque mis hermanos son jóvenes..

My family is very large. I have six siblings – four brothers and two sisters. I am the oldest. I’m thirty-two years old.

My dad is a doctor and my mom is a nurse. Both work in a hospital.

I’m already married. My wife’s name is Rachel. She has only one brother. She also has a stepmother and stepfather. I like her family very much. We do not have children yet.

I have grandparents on my mother’s side. I also have many uncles, aunts, and cousins.

I don’t have any nephews or nieces yet, because my siblings are young.

That’s all for me – now it’s your turn! Practice in the mirror or with a friend, or leave a comment below in Spanish and let us know about you and your family. More advanced readers can feel free to show off a bit. The rest of us can learn from you!

Build vocabulary, practice pronunciation, and more with Transparent Language Online. Available anytime, anywhere, on any device.

About the Author: sasha

Sasha is an English teacher, writer, photographer, and videographer from the great state of Michigan. Upon graduating from Michigan State University, he moved to China and spent 5+ years living, working, studying, and traveling there. He also studied Indonesian Language & Culture in Bali for a year. He and his wife run the travel blog Grateful Gypsies, and they're currently trying the digital nomad lifestyle across Latin America.

Hi. Wanted to learn spanish using your blog but finding it hsrd ti find your lessin 1 🙁

Learn Spanish with free, communicative lessons

Talking About Family Members in Spanish

Do you know how to say the most common family members in Spanish? There are so many relatives and we could simply write a long list with all of them, but making list of words is not how you learn a language. Instead, this lesson will teach you the ones you will use the most in real situations, and more importantly, the grammar structures and verbs needed to make meaningful sentences with family members. “¡Comencemos!”

Introductory video: Common Family members in Spanish

Let’s begin by watching a video showing a list of family members in Spanish and how they should be written and pronounced. This video teaches words such as Mamá (mom) and Abuelito (grandpa) and explains some key things about the verbs SER (to be) and TENER (to have) and the right way to use them to describe family members , which is the central topic of our next lesson. Try to stick until the end of the video as it will definitely help you understand all the examples presented in the rest of the lesson.

Talking about family members in Spanish

Family relationships in spanish and jobs.

First, in order to talk about family relationships in Spanish, we will use  possessive adjectives . They are words like MI (my) and SU (your) that can be used as in “Mi mamá”(my mother). The possessive adjective to use must agree in number and gender with the family member. For instance, to talk about “my brother” I should say “Mi hermano”, but if I mean to say “my brothers” then I should use MIS instead of MI as in “Mis hermanos”. As you can see, possessive adjectives are really important to talk about relationships between family members in Spanish.

The way to call some family members in Spanish

Some family members can be called in two ways such as “Mamá”/”Madre” and “Papá”/”Padre”. “Mamá” and “Papá” are way more casual. Notice that these two words need tilde in the last vowel, else they will mean something else. The word “PADRES”, which is also the plural form of father in Spanish, will be used meaning “parents”. Also, there is a cute way to call grandparents by adding the suffix -ITO at the end as in “Abuelito” (grandpa) and “Abuelita”(grandma). This termination can also be added to “Mamá” and “Papá” to say “Mamita” and “Papito”.

How to describe family members in Spanish and say what they do

The easiest way to describe things and even family members in Spanish is by using the irregular verb SER . Basically, SER can be used as ES for one person, e.g. “Mi papá es…” (My dad is…) and SON for several relatives as in “Mis tíos son…” (My uncles are…). After the verb SER, we need to place an adjective such as  “trabajador” (hard-working) or “amable” (kind), or even job titles and occupations like “Ingeniero” (Engineer). Moreover, you can use adverbs like “MUY” (very) to make adjectives stronger.

The chart below contains sentences with a list of common family members in Spanish. Here, you will see both possessive adjectives to express family relationships and SER + Spanish adjectives to describe relatives the easy way. Click on Play to listen to the sentences.

Introducing family members in Spanish

Sometimes you will also need to introduce a relative in Spanish . To do so, you can use this sentence structure:

Relative + SE LLAMA + Name as in “ Mi mamá se llama Teresa ”

You can also refer to someone else’s relatives by using SER and possessive adjectives to state the relationship as in SU HIJA (her daughter) . Here are some examples of sentences introducing family members in Spanish

Sharing information about your relatives in Spanish

In addition to describing your relatives and introducing them to other people, you can also share information about them such as the place where they live, their age, how many children they have and so on. Below there is a last group of sentences with family members in Spanish sharing personal information . Make sure to practice with the quiz at the end of the lesson once you check all the examples. We hope you find the examples provided in the lesson very useful. ¡Hasta pronto!

Related Spanish Worksheets:

• Family Tree in Spanish: PDF Worksheet (Vocabulary)
• Questions about the Family in Spanish: PDF Worksheet (Speaking)
• Making Questions in Spanish – PDF Worksheet (Speaking)
• Family Relationships in Spanish – PDF Worksheet (Reading)
• Dialogues about the family in Spanish – PDF Worksheet

Spanish translation of 'visit'

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How Do You Say Family in Spanish: A Quick Guide

Written by Diana Luciana

October 27, 2022.

Learn how to talk about your family in Spanish. From family members to extended family, discover how to have a conversation in Spanish about your family ( la familia .) ❤️

It’s one of those subjects that will pop up in conversations, especially when traveling to Spanish-speaking countries. Family ties are important, and once you get close to someone, you’ll likely have the chance to meet their cousins, uncles, aunts, and other relatives of their extended family. A bit of Spanish will go a long way.

How to say family in Spanish

Family in Spanish is la familia , a feminine noun pronounced fah-MEE-lyah. Let’s go more in-depth and learn the different categories of family in Spanish:

• Immediate/close family – la familia inmediata or  la familia directa
• Extended family – la familia extendida or los parientes lejanos
• Stepfamily – la familia ensamblada  or  la familia reconstituida
• Foster family – la familia adoptiva
• In-laws – la familia política

How do you say my family in Spanish

If you want to talk about your family in Spanish, you need to know how to use possessive adjectives. Possessives are the equivalent of “my” and “your” in English. So in Spanish, you’ll say:

• My family – mi familia
• (Singular) Your family – tu familia
• His/her/their family – su familia
• Our family – nuestra familia
• (Plural) Your family – vuestra familia

You can learn more about possessive adjectives here .

Let’s talk about family members in Spanish

Now that you know how to say “family,” let’s go over some common family vocabulary in Spanish. First of all, el miembro de la familia or la miembro de la familia is “family member,” and el pariente or la parienta means “relative” in Spanish. See below how to say family members in Spanish.

Family members in Spanish

Here’s all the family vocabulary you’ll need to know to make small talk in Spanish. From close (or immediate family) to in-laws and godparent family, you will be covered and ready to start any conversation in Spanish. Let’s delve into:

Close family

• los padres / los papás (parents)
• la madre  (mother)
• la mamá  (mom)
• el padre  (father)
• el papá  (dad)
• la hermana  (sister)
• el hermano  (brother)
• los hermanos  (siblings) – The plural of “sibling” in Spanish is “hermanos,” whether you’re referring to brothers, or brothers and sisters. If you’re referring to sisters only, then it’s las hermanas .
• la hija  (daughter)
• el hijo  (son)
• los hijos  (children)
• la esposa/la marida  (wife)
• el esposo/el marido  (husband)
• el/la bebé  (male/female baby)
• el niño/la niña (male/female child)

By the way, if you have an older sister or brother, say la h ermana mayor (older sister) or el hermano mayor (older brother.) If they are younger than you, in Spanish it’ll be la hermana menor (younger sister) and el hermano menor (younger brother.) For example, Tengo tres hermanos. Dos hermanas menores y un hermano mayor. (I have three siblings. Two younger sisters and one older brother.)

Extended family and relatives

• los parientes  (relatives)
• los parientes lejanos  (extended family)
• la abuela  (grandmother)
• el abuelo  (grandfather)
• los abuelos  (grandparents)
• la nieta  (granddaughter)
• el nieto  (grandson)
• los nietos  (grandchildren)
• el bisnieto  (great-grandson)
• la bisnieta  (great-granddaughter)
• la tía  (aunt)
• el tío  (uncle)
• los tíos (aunts and uncles)
• el primo/la prima  (male/female cousin)
• el primo segundo/la prima segunda  (second male/female cousin)
• el sobrino  (nephew)
• la sobrina  (niece)
• el bisabuelo  (great-grandfather)
• la bisabuela  (great-grandmother)
• el padrastro  (stepfather)
• la madrastra  (stepmother)
• el hijastro  (stepson)
• la hijastra  (stepdaughter)
• el hermanastro  (stepbrother)
• la hermanastra  (stepsister)
• el medio hermano  (half brother)
• la media hermana  (half sister)
• la suegra  (mother-in-law)
• el suegro  (father-in-law)
• el cuñado  (brother-in-law)
• la cuñada  (sister-in-law)
• el concuñado  (husband of one’s spouse’s sister)
• la concuñada  (wife of one’s spouse’s brother)
• el consuegro  (father-in-law of one’s son or daughter)
• la consuegra  (mother-in-law of one’s son or daughter)
• la nuera  (daughter-in-law)
• el yerno  (son-in-law)

God family/Godparent family

• el padrino  (godfather)
• la madrina  (godmother)
• el ahijado  (godson)
• la ahijada  (goddaughter)
• el compadre  (godfather to one’s child)
• el comadre  (godmother to one’s child)

Here’s a chart you can download to practice your Spanish family vocabulary wherever you are:

Gender in Spanish

When you’re talking about family in Spanish, keep in mind that Spanish is a gendered language, meaning each noun is either female or male: for example,  la hermana  (sister) and  el hermano  (brother.) If you’re talking about a group of people that includes males, Spanish defaults to the male gender, even if there’s only one male in the whole group: “siblings” becomes  los hermanos  (unless all your siblings are females, then it’s  las hermanas ,) “parents” becomes  los padres , “children” becomes  los hijos .

Other family-related terms in Spanish

Beyond talking about your family members in Spanish, there are many other family-related terms worth knowing. Whether you’re talking about your family or anyone else’s family, this Spanish vocabulary will help you express more naturally.

• La familia nuclear (nuclear family)
• Hijo único / Hija únic a (only child)
• Hijo de en medio (middle child)
• Primogénito (eldest child)
• Gemelos/mellizos (identical twins)
• Cuates (non-identical twins)
• Huérfano (orphaned)
• Madre subrogada (surrogate mother)
• Mamá adoptiva (foster mom)
• Papá adoptivo (foster dad)
• Adoptado (adopted)
• Hijo adoptivo/hija adoptiva (foster son/daughter)
• Novia/novio (girlfriend/boyfriend)
• Prometido / Prometida (fiancé/fiancée)
• Comprometidos (engaged)
• Casados (married)
• Divorciados (divorced)
• Viudo/viuda (widow)

Have a conversation about family in Spanish

Let’s imagine you are hanging out with your friends and suddenly the subject of family pops up. Learn how to have a conversation about family in Spanish, and how to ask the right questions. Even though it’s small talk, it’s an easy way of improving your Spanish skills and making a good impression.

• Describe tu familia.   (Describe your family.) 
• En mi familia hay…  (In my family there is…)
• Mi árbol genealógico es bastante grande. Tengo muchos parientes en ambos lados de la familia . (My family tree is quite extensive. I have many relatives on both sides of the family.)
• ¿Cómo están tus papás? (How are your parents?)
• ¡Están muy bien! ¿Qué tal los tuyos? (They’re doing great! What about yours?)
• ¿Cómo se llama tu madre?   (What’s your mother’s name?) 
• Él/ella se llama…   (His/her name is…)
• ¿Tienes hermanos? (Do you have any siblings?)
• Tengo tres hermanas. (I have three sisters.)
• Mi hermana mayor tiene 29 años. (My older sister is 29 years old.)
• Mi hermano es solo dos años mayor que yo. (My older brother is only two years older than me.)
• ¿Eres hijo único? (Are you an only child?)
• No, tengo dos hermanos y una hermana. ¿Y tú? (No, I have two brothers and one sister. What about you?)
• Tengo un hermano gemelo, y ¡mi tía tuvo trillizos! (I have a twin brother, and my aunt had triplets!)
• Yo solo tengo una hermana menor. ¿Eres el hermano mayor? (I only have a younger sister. Are you the elder brother?)
• No, soy el de en medio. (No, I’m the middle child.)

More Spanish phrases about family:

• ¿En qué trabaja él/ella?  (What does he/she do for work?)
• ¿Qué hace tu hijo?   (What does your son do?)
• ¿Cómo es tu abuela?  (What’s your grandmother like?)
• ¿Te cae bien tu padrino?   (Do you like your godfather?) 
• Si, mi… es divertido.  (Yes, my… is fun.)
• ¿Cuántos primos tienes?   (How many cousins do you have?) 
• Tengo doce primos en total.  (I have 12 cousins in all.)
• ¿Cuántos años tienen tus hijos?   (How old are your kids?) 
• Mi hija tiene 2 años y mi hijo tiene 5 años.  (My daughter is 2 years old and my son is 5 years old.)
• ¿Dónde vive tu sobrina?  (Where does your niece live?) 
• ¿Dónde viven tus nietos?  (Where do your grandchildren live?)
• ¿Tiene hijos él/ella?  (Does he/she have children?)
• ¿Cuánto tiempo llevan casados? (How long have you been married?)
• Ya llevamos dos años de casados . (We have been married for two years now.)
• ¿Planean tener hijos? (Do you plan on having children?)
• Si, queremos tener tres hijos. (Yes, we want to have three kids.)

Now you can talk about your family in Spanish! There’s one last thing left: How do you say “I love you” or “I miss you” in Spanish ? If you want to say “I love my family”, go with Quiero a mi familia or Amo a mi familia. Practice your newly learned family vocabulary next time you’re having a conversation in Spanish. 🫶

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ALL Phrases You Need to Speak About Your Family in Spanish 

In this article, I’ll teach you how to speak about your family in Spanish! It does not matter whether you’re an only child or whether you have 12 siblings and 20 aunts or whether you’re still single or married to the love of your life.

After having read this piece, you’ll be able to present your entire family.

1. Basic vocabulary for family in Spanish (La familia)

Family is generally a very important part of any Latin American, so it’s very likely that your Spanish-speaking friends will want to talk to you about sus familias (their families) and ask you about yours.

So, first, let’s see some vocabulary in Spanish that you’ll need to know to answer like a native:

• Padre (Father)
• Madre (Mother)
• Hija (Daughter)
• Hermano (Brother)
• Hermana (Sister)
• Abuelo (Grandfather)
• Abuela (Grandmother)
• Tío (Uncle)
• Primo (Cousin) — masculine / Prima (Cousin) — feminine
• Esposo (Husband)
• Esposa (Wife)

Please note that in Spanish, the plural default expression if there’s at least one male involved is generally the masculine plural. So for “parents”, we say “ p adres “; for children (as in sons and daughters), we say hijos ; for siblings, hermanos ; for grandparents, abuelos .

Why don’t you try it with cousins and the others and let me know in the comments? I’ll make sure to check your answers! 

If you come from a big family and have many siblings, aunts or cousins, you can use mayor (older) and menor (younger) in expressions like these:

• Mi hermana mayor es alta. (Mi older sister is tall.)
• Mi padre es menor que mis tíos. (My father is younger than my uncles.)
• A tu primo menor le gusta el fútbol. (Your younger cousin likes soccer.)

These are very useful chunks you can learn by heart to start speaking about your family!

2. How to talk about family in Spanish

So, as you can see, in Spanish, similar to English, we use possessive pronouns to address our family members. Let’s review them quickly:

• Tu (Your) — informal
• Su (Formal your, as well as her, his and their)
• Nuestro (masculine) / Nuestra (feminine) (Our)

Remember if it’s plural, add an S to the pronouns like mis papás (my parents).

If you want to give more details about your family, then you want to use es and está to describe situational, physical or personality traits about them:

• Tu papá es ingeniero. Es el mayor de sus hermanos. (Your dad’s an engineer. He’s the oldest brother.)
• ¡Mi hermana está embarazada! (My sister is pregnant!)
• Nuestros primos están en Estados Unidos. (Our cousins are in the United States.)

If you want to know more about the verb to be in Spanish ( ser-estar ), just check Mariana’s video . She has great chunks prepared for you about that!

3. In-laws in Spanish

Now you know how to talk about your immediate family, but what about your family in-law?

These are the words to use:

• Suegro (Father-in-law)
• Suegra (Mother-in-law)
• Cuñado (Brother-in-law)
• Cuñada (Sister-in-law)
• Yerno (Son-in-law)
• Nuera (Daughter-in-law)

Let me give you some chunks about myself:

• Mi hermana tiene una hija. (My sister has one daughter.)
• Mi sobrina es Argentina. ¡Es una bebé! (My niece is Argentinian. She’s a baby!)
• Mi padre y mi madre están felizmente casados. (My father and mother are happily married.)
• Mi mamá es baja y mi papá es alto. (My mom is short and my dad is tall.)
• Yo estoy casado. Mi esposa es venezolana y morena. (I am married. My wife is Venezuelan and a brunette.) También se enoja fácilmente.  (She also gets angry easily.)

4. Learn more family words about extended family member in Spanish with FREE training

¡Buenísimo! (Very good!)

Remember: we have a whole series of Spanish beginner videos , so feel free to check out the other videos from me and the other Spring Spanish teachers on our channel! 

If you want to become part of the Spring Spanish family, we have a free Spanish training on our website where you’ll discover the method we use in our Spring Spanish Academy to teach students to speak fluent Spanish. You also get some free sample Spanish lessons there that come straight from our Academy!

✔️ Cheat Sheet with 54 essential Spanish Chunks you’ll hear and use yourself in ANY Spanish conversation (and example sentences). Taken from our YouTube Teacher’s most popular videos!

✔️ 2 Bonus Cheat Sheets with Travel Chunks and Dating/Relationship Chunks

✔️ A Spanish Chunking Tutorial showing you the 1 technique that’ll help you make 100% of the Spanish from our videos roll off the tongue i n just 5 minutes a day (you’re probably only using 50% of our lessons’ potential right now…)

Juan's a Venezuelan Teacher, Engineer, Writer and Musician based in Buenos Aires, Argentina. He's into travelling, music, videogames, films and pop culture in general. He's a member of the band Santa Fuego and lives with his wife Lía and his Shiba Inu Okami

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Spanish Vocabulary 101: Family Members in Spanish

Family is a common topic you can use in conversations. So, in this article, you’ll learn words for all family members in Spanish and daily-life vocabulary you can use to talk about family. Here is an overview of what we’ll cover:

Immediate family

Extended family, blended family.

• Adjectives to Describe Your Family
• Bonus: Questions about Family in Spanish
• Download the Family Members Cheat Sheet

Members of the Family in Spanish

Below you’ll find the vocabulary for family members in Spanish. I’ve included some notes for each category so you can use these words correctly. 

In Spanish, immediate family members include: 

• Mamá – mom
• Papá – dad
• Papás – parents
• Hijo – son  
• Hija – daughter
• Hermano – brother
• Hermana – sister
• Hermanos – siblings
• Esposo – husband 
• Esposa – wife  

Padre, madre and padres mean ‘father’,‘mother’, and ‘parents’, respectively. However, in Spanish, these words are used in formal situations . 

Los padres están molestos. The parents are upset.

If you want to increase your family vocabulary, you can check these articles on different ways to say ‘mom ’ and ‘dad’ in Spanish . 

Take Note: ‘Padre’ can be used as a Mexican slang word for ‘cool’. 

The words for extended family members in Spanish are: 

• Abuelo – Grandfather
• Abuela – Grandmother
• Abuelos – Grandparents 
• Tío – Uncle
• Tía – Aunt
• Primo(a) – Cousin
• Sobrino – Nephew 
• Sobrina – Niece
• Nieto – Grandson
• Nieta – Granddaughter 
• Nietos – Grandchildren 
• Pariente – Relative

Tip: In Spanish, we use a plural masculine word as a neutral noun when talking about a group of people formed by men and women . If people of the same gender formed that group, we would use the feminine or masculine word. Check the example below:

Juan , María y Tania son mis tíos . Juan , María , and Tania are my uncles .

María y Tania son mis hermanas . María and Tania are my sisters .

So, in the first example, tíos is used as a neutral word because I’m talking about a mixed group (uncles and aunts). However, in the second example, María and Tania are two females because of that I can use the feminine term hermanas (sisters).  

Family in-law members in Spanish

• Familia política: family-in-law
• Suegro: father-in-law
• Suegra: mother-in-law
• Nuera: daughter-in-law
• Yerno: son-in-law
• Cuñado: brother-in-law
• Cuñada: sister-in-law
• Tío político: uncle by marriage
• Tía política : aunt by marriage 

In Spanish, we use family-in-law words to call or refer to our in-laws politely and respectfully . As a result, this vocabulary is as essential as other words for family members. 

This application can be strange for many people learning Spanish. If you’re unsure of how to use these terms properly, you can see some examples in my article about family-in-laws in Spanish . 

If you have a blended family, here is the Spanish vocabulary you’ll need:

• Padrastro: step-father
• Madrastra: step-mother
• Hijastro: step-son
• Hijastra: step-daughter 
• Hermanastro: step-brother
• Hermanastra: step-sister
• Medio hermano: half-brother
• Media hermana: half-sister
• Familia adoptiva: adoptive family

Words to Describe Your Family in Spanish

In this section, you’ll find adjectives, verbs, and common sentence structures you can use to describe and talk about your family. 

To express the amount of relatives you have , you’ll use: 

[‘Tener’ present tense] + (number) + [family word]

Yo tengo un hermano y una hermana. I have one brother and one sister.

No tengo hermanos. Soy hijo único. I don’t have siblings. I’m an only child.

Spanish possessive adjectives to talk about your relatives and family relationships: 

Ella es mi mamá. That’s my mom.

Mis hermanas son contadoras. My sisters are accountants.

Tu familia es muy divertida. Your family is very funny.

And here you have some descriptive adjectives you can use to describe your family and relatives: 

• Amable: Kind / Welcoming
• Amorosa : Loving  
• Conservadora: Traditional
• Comprensiva: Understanding / Supportive
• Chismosa: Nosy 
• Criticona : Judgemental 
• Disfuncional: Dysfunctional 
• Divertida: Funny
• Enfadosa: Annoying 
• Excéntrica : Eccentric 
• Graciosa : Funny / Amusing 
• Moderna: Modern 
• Ruidosa: Noisy 
• Tolerante: Accepting 
• Trabajadora : Hard-working
• Unida: Close-knit

You must use these adjectives with the verb ‘ser’ . You can also change the gender and number of these adjectives to describe relatives. 

Tu familia es muy graciosa . Your family is very funny .

Somos una familia muy unida . We’re a very close-knit family.

Mis tías son criticonas y chismosas . My aunts are judgemental and nosy.

If you want to provide a thorough description of your relatives, in this article, you can learn more Spanish adjectives for personality and physical characteristics. 

Conversation Bonus: Questions about Family in Spanish

Since family is a common talking point, here are some Spanish questions about family you can use in your conversations: 

If you want to learn more simple questions you can use to start a conversation in Spanish, you should check my free Spanish Learning Kit . 

Practice Quiz: Family Members Spanish Vocabulary

Now that you’ve learned how to refer to family members in Spanish, feel free to take this quiz to memorize the vocabulary and test your knowledge!

Family Members Vocabulary Cheat Sheets

I’ve created a downloadable PDF for you to save for later if you want a quick reference on any of the vocab for family members in Spanish that you learned in this guide.

Daniela Sanchez

¡Hola! Soy Daniela Sanchez, I've been studying Spanish professionally as well as teaching it in Mexico and online for over 10 years. I’ve taught Spanish to a wide array of foreigners from many backgrounds. Over the years, I've made it my mission to work hard on refining many challenging to understand grammar topics to make my students' learning experiences easier, faster and more enjoyable. Read More About Me

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How to Discuss Your Family Tree in Spanish

Knowing your family tree in Spanish is a meaningful way to connect to your ancestors, learn more about your family, and practice your Spanish skills in the process. 

Family is central to life in Spanish-speaking countries. So how do you talk about family in Spanish? If you’ve ever been to a Spanish speaking country, you’ve probably noticed the frequent use of diminutives as a term of endearment, such as tita for abuelita , papi meaning daddy, or hermanito for little brother. 

Read this article to learn how to talk about your family tree in Spanish and compose Spanish sentences about your family members. What’s more, you’re not just learning a language but immersing yourself in a culture that loves making you feel like family whenever you visit their homes.

Family Tree Vocabulary in Spanish

Let’s learn all about the family tree in Spanish, including the vocabulary that you need and how to use it naturally!

Los ancestros – Ancestors

El primogénito – Firstborn

El segundogénito – Second born 

El gemelo/la gemela – Identical twin

El orden cronológico – Chronological order

Los decendentes – Descendants

La familia – Family

El árbol de familia – Family tree

La genealogia – Genealogy

El apellido de soltera – Maiden name

El apellido – Last name

La cronologia – Timeline

Family Members in Spanish

It’s important to know that Spanish is grammatically gendered. Spanish nouns are classified as either masculine or feminine. For example, the generic name for uncles and aunts in Spanish is los tíos . You don’t need to say tíos y tías as we do in English because the word tíos includes both. 

Here’s a comprehensive list of the family tree members in Spanish.

Immediate Family 

El padre – Father

La madre – Mother

El hijo – Son

La hija – Daughter

El esposo – Husband

La esposa – Wife

Los padres – Parents

El hermano – Brother

La hermana – Sister

Extended Family 

El bisabuelo – Great Grandfather

La bisabuela – Great Grandmother

Los abuelos – Grandparents

El abuelo – Grandfather

La abuela – Grandmother

El tío – Uncle

La tía – Aunt

Los primos – Cousins

El primo – Cousin (Male)

La prima – Cousin (Female)

El sobrino – Nephew

La sobrina – Niece

Los nietos – Grandchildren

El nieto – Grandson

La nieta – Granddaughter

El bisnieto – Great Grandson

La bisnieta – Great Granddaughter

In-Laws 

The in-laws are the members of the family of your spouse or your family’s spouses.  

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

Example Sentences 

Tengo un tío que se llama Armando. I have an uncle called Armando.

Mi tía favorita es Beatriz.  Beatriz is my favorite aunt.

Mi prima se llama Maria. I have a cousin named Maria.

Marie es mi cuñada. Marie is my sister-in-law.

Guillermo es mi padre. Guillermo is my father. 

Juana es mi prima favorita.   Juana is my favorite cousin. 

Useful Expressions to Discuss Your Family Tree in Spanish 

It is common for families to come up in Spanish conversation. Make sure to take your time learning and practicing family vocabulary and expressions so that you’re ready!  

1. Presentar a alguien – to introduce someone

Te presento a mi esposo.  Let me introduce you to my husband. 

2. Él/ella + es + relationship to you – he/she + is + relationship to you

Ella es mi tía.  She is my aunt.

3. Tengo (I have) + number + siblings, cousins, uncles, or aunts

Tengo cuatro hermanos. Dos hermanos y dos hermanas.  I have four siblings. Two brothers and two sisters. 

4. Mi familia + es + adjective 

Mi familia es muy expresiva.  My family is very expressive. 

Family Tree in Spanish Example

Use the example below of Lydia’s family tree, and create sentences to practice each member’s relationship to the other. I’ve provided a few example sentences to help you get started.

Lydia es la madre de Manuel e Isabel.   Lydia is Manuel and Isabel’s mother. 

Lydia es la abuela de Karla. Lydia is Karla’s grandmother. 

Karla es la prima de Guillermo.  Karla is Guillermo’s cousin. 

Talk About Your Family Tree in Spanish

Speaking a new language is challenging, but it’s important to remember that the only way to learn something new is by not being afraid to try. As a teacher, I always encourage my students not to be afraid to make a mistake; it’s the only way to learn. 

Talking about your family is an excellent way to make conversation. People love to talk about their family in Spanish because it’s such a major part of their culture. 

Possessive Pronouns 

Possessive pronouns are words used in place of articles to indicate to whom or to what something belongs. They indicate possession and are commonly found when discussing your family tree In Spanish. 

Jorge es mi abuelo. Jorge is my grandfather. 

Manuela es tu prima. Manuela is your cousin.

Selina es nuestra tía . Selina is our aunt.

Isabel es su madre.  Isabel is my mother. 

Possessive de

In English, we use ’s (apostrophe s) to indicate that one noun possesses another. The Spanish equivalent is the preposition de . Note that the order of the nouns is reversed. La tía de Pedro es Margarita . Pedro’s aunt is Margarita.

Los primos de Juana viven en México. Juana’s cousins live in Mexico. 

El hermano de Miranda es dentista. Miranda’s brother is a dentist. 

Make Your Own Family Tree in Spanish

Try creating your own family tree in Spanish. It can be as simple or complex as you’d like. If you’re doing it with kids, try to use many colors so that they can have fun with it. 

Creating a family tree in Spanish is one of the best ways to practice family terms and learn where you come from. And if you want to get even more creative, get your whole family involved to see if they can learn with you how to say madre, padre, hermano, hermana, primos, tios and much more! You’d be surprised to see how supportive family can be when it comes to learning a new skill. And if you’d like to discuss your family tree in Spanish, sign up for a free class and have a conversation with a friendly, native-speaking Spanish teacher today. 

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