Family Members in Spanish
In this post you will find:
- Exercises for practice
- Podcast and vocabulary video
- Useful family members vocabulary
Introduction
Family members (in Spanish) are a common topic of conversation. Why? Most Spanish-speaking countries place a high value on family. Culture is the reason. When things get tough, Spanish people tend to turn to their families for support.
It’s important to know how to talk about your family in Spanish and most importantly understand when your Spanish-speaking friends mention their families, relationships, or relatives. Our blog post is the perfect solution for you if you don’t feel comfortable with this topic.
Every section has a tailored list of different family members followed by exercises. ¡Vamos allá! (Let’s go!)
In our opinion, learning vocabulary is best done in context. Therefore, we created this video with family-related vocabulary in Spanish. Dive into the topic right away.
12 Immediate Family Members
Here we will talk about the closest or most immediate members of your family. You might share a family dinner with them or have a casual get-together.
padre – father
madre – mother
padres – parents (father and mother or two fathers)
hijo/a – son/daughter
esposo/marido – husband
esposa – wife
hermano/a – brother/sister
abuelo/a – grandfather/grandmother
abuelos – grandparents
| Spanish 🇪🇸 | English 🇺🇸 |
|---|---|
|
padre |
father |
|
madre |
mother |
|
padres |
parents (father and mother or two fathers) |
|
hijo |
son |
|
hija |
daughter |
|
esposo/marido |
husband |
|
esposa |
wife |
|
hermano |
brother |
|
hermana |
sister |
|
abuelo |
grandfather |
|
abuela |
grandmother |
|
abuelos |
grandparents |
- ¿Puedo enviarle un mensaje a tu abuela? - Can I text your grandmother?
- Mi hija está visitando a sus abuelos. - My daughter is visiting her grandparents.
- Mi hermano es estudiante en esta universidad. - My brother is a student at this university.
Practice what you’ve learned:
6 In-laws Family Members
In-laws are family members who are married to one of the family members. This means that they are married into the family. Depending on who is their partner, the name changes.
suegro – father-in-law
suegra – mother-in-law
yerno – son-in-law
nuera – daughter-in-law
cuñado – brother-in-law
cuñada – sister-in-law
| Spanish 🇪🇸 | English 🇺🇸 |
|---|---|
|
suegro |
father-in-law |
|
suegra |
mother-in-law |
|
yerno |
son-in-law |
|
nuera |
daughter-in-law |
|
cuñado |
brother-in-law |
|
cuñada |
sister-in-law |
- Mi cuñada cocinó la cena para toda la familia. - My sister in law cooked dinner for the whole family.
- Mi suegro es muy divertido. - My father in law is very funny.
To have a better overview of what you have learned until now practice with these exercises:
16 Extended Family Members
For Spanish people, the extended family is just as important as the immediate family. Have it in mind while communicating. Don’t be lazy and learn this vocabulary as well.
nietos – grandchildren
nieto/a – grandson/granddaughter
tío/a – uncle/aunt
primos – cousins
primo/a – cousin (male)/(female)
sobrino/a – nephew/niece
bisabuelo/a – great grandfather/grandmother
tatarabuelo/a – great great grandfather/grandmother
| Spanish 🇪🇸 | English 🇺🇸 |
|---|---|
|
nietos |
grandchildren |
|
nieto |
grandson |
|
nieta |
granddaughter |
|
bisnieto |
great grandson |
|
bisnieta |
great granddaughter |
|
tío |
uncle |
|
tía |
aunt |
|
primos |
cousins |
|
primo |
cousin (male) |
|
prima |
cousin (female) |
|
sobrino |
nephew |
|
sobrina |
niece |
|
bisabuelo |
great grandfather |
|
bisabuela |
great grandmother |
|
tatarabuelo |
great great grandfather |
|
tatarabuela |
great great grandmother |
- Tengo una buena relación con mis primos. - I have a good relationship with my cousins.
- ¿Cuándo fue la última vez que se reunió con sus nietos? - When was the last time you met up with your grandchildren?
- Mi bisabuelo tiene 110 años. - My great grandfather is 110 years old.
6 Mixed Families
Families are becoming more complex nowadays. Being prepared for any situation is a good idea. The vocabulary may not be necessary for you, but knowing it will help you understand others when they talk about their families.
padrastro – stepfather
madrastra – stepmother
hijastro/a – stepson/stepdaughter
hermanastro/a – stepbrother/stepsister
| Spanish 🇪🇸 | English 🇺🇸 |
|---|---|
|
padrastro |
stepfather |
|
madrastra |
stepmother |
|
hijastro |
stepson |
|
hijastra |
stepdaughter |
|
hermanastro |
stepbrother |
|
hermanastra |
stepsister |
- Mi madrastra tiene dos hijos. - My stepmother has 2 sons.
- ¿Tu hermanastro tiene novia? - Does your step brother have a girlfriend?
To repeat and practice what you’ve just learned we have created some exercises:
Check out our podcast episode about Family in Spanish. Surely, it will be a good addition to your listening skills! If you wish to read the transcript while listening and also completing the exercises, then download them by clicking on the link below.
Talking about Your Family in Spanish
To recap what you’ve learnt in this post, listed to our podcast episode “Talking about Your Family in Spanish”.
The Civil Statuses
How do we talk about a person’s relationship status in Spanish? It’s very easy! In Spanish we express the different options with the verbs SER, ESTAR and TENER. Look at the following chart.
Martina está casada. Su marido se llama Antonio. – Martina is married. Her husband’s name is Antonio.
Mi abuelo es viudo. Su mujer está muerta. – My grandfather is a widower. His wife is dead.
Mis tíos están divorciados. – My uncles are divorced.
Yo estoy soltera y Patricia tiene novio. – I am single and Patricia has a boyfriend.
Martina no tiene pareja, está soltera. – Martina doesn’t have a partner, she is single.
Now, practice here:
If you want to immerse yourself in Hispanic culture and learn more about family relationships and how important they are to Hispanics, here are some movies that are perfect for that.
If you want to learn more:
Check our extensive post about Spanish for Traveling. You will find a downloadable PDF, useful vocabulary, and grammar.
All about SER and ESTAR in Spanish.
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