Describing family involves using vocabulary for family members as well as descriptive words to talk about family size, relationships, and characteristics. This guide will help you confidently describe your family in English.

Family Members

These are the basic English words for people in a family, from parents and siblings to grandparents and cousins.

Common Family Members

Mother / Mom / Mum: female parent
Father / Dad: male parent
Brother: male sibling
Sister: female sibling
Grandmother / Grandma: mother of a parent
Grandfather / Grandpa: father of a parent
Aunt: sister of a parent or wife of an uncle
Uncle: brother of a parent or husband of an aunt
Cousin: child of an aunt or uncle
Child / Son / Daughter: next generation

Singular	Plural	English Example	Spanish Example	French Example	Japanese Example
Mother / Mom / Mum	Mothers / Moms / Mums	My mother is kind.	Mi madre es amable.	Ma mère est gentille.	私の母は親切です。
Father / Dad	Fathers / Dads	My dad loves cooking.	Mi papá ama cocinar.	Mon père aime cuisiner.	私の父は料理が好きです。
Brother	Brothers	I have one brother.	Tengo un hermano.	J’ai un frère.	兄が一人います。
Sister	Sisters	She has two sisters.	Ella tiene dos hermanas.	Elle a deux sœurs.	彼女は妹が二人います。
Grandmother / Grandma	Grandmothers / Grandmas	My grandma tells stories.	Mi abuela cuenta historias.	Ma grand-mère raconte des histoires.	祖母は物語を話します。
Grandfather / Grandpa	Grandfathers / Grandpas	Grandpa is 80 years old.	El abuelo tiene 80 años.	Grand-père a 80 ans.	おじいさんは80歳です。
Aunt	Aunts	My aunt lives nearby.	Mi tía vive cerca.	Ma tante habite près d’ici.	おばは近くに住んでいます。
Uncle	Uncles	My uncle is a teacher.	Mi tío es maestro.	Mon oncle est professeur.	おじは先生です。
Cousin	Cousins	I play with my cousin.	Juego con mi primo.	Je joue avec mon cousin.	いとこと遊びます。
Child / Son / Daughter	Children / Sons / Daughters	They have two children.	Tienen dos hijos.	Ils ont deux enfants.	彼らには子供が二人います。

Family Descriptions

These words help you talk about the size and structure of your family.

Describing Family Size

Small family: a family with few members (e.g., just parents and one child)
Large family: a family with many members, including multiple siblings or relatives
Immediate family: parents and children only, the closest relatives
Extended family: includes aunts, uncles, cousins, grandparents, and other relatives
Single-parent family: one parent raising the children
Blended family: a family where parents have children from previous relationships

Describing Relationships

Close family: family members who have strong emotional bonds and spend time together
Distant family: family members who don’t see each other often or have less contact
Supportive family: family members who help and encourage each other
Loving family: a family full of affection and care
Strict parents: parents who have many rules and expect obedience
Easygoing parents: parents who are relaxed and not strict

English Word	Meaning	Example	Spanish Example	French Example	Japanese Example
Small family	Few members	I come from a small family.	Vengo de una familia pequeña.	Je viens d’une petite famille.	私は小さい家族の出身です。
Large family	Many members	She has a large family.	Ella tiene una familia grande.	Elle a une grande famille.	彼女は大家族です。
Immediate family	Parents and children only	Only immediate family attended.	Solo la familia directa asistió.	Seule la famille proche était présente.	親しい家族だけが出席しました。
Extended family	Includes aunts, uncles, etc.	We visited our extended family.	Visitamos a nuestra familia extendida.	Nous avons rendu visite à notre famille élargie.	私たちは大家族を訪ねました。
Single-parent family	One parent raising children	She grew up in a single-parent family.	Creció en una familia monoparental.	Elle a grandi dans une famille monoparentale.	彼女はひとり親家庭で育ちました。
Blended family	Parents with children from past relationships	They have a blended family.	Tienen una familia reconstituida.	Ils ont une famille recomposée.	彼らはステップファミリーです。
Close family	Strong bonds and time together	We are a close family.	Somos una familia unida.	Nous sommes une famille proche.	私たちは仲の良い家族です。
Distant family	Rarely see each other	My family is distant.	Mi familia está distante.	Ma famille est distante.	私の家族は遠く離れています。
Supportive family	Helps and encourages	I have a supportive family.	Tengo una familia solidaria.	J’ai une famille solidaire.	支え合う家族です。
Loving family	Full of affection	Our family is loving.	Nuestra familia es cariñosa.	Notre famille est aimante.	私たちの家族は愛情深いです。
Strict parents	Many rules and discipline	I have strict parents.	Tengo padres estrictos.	J’ai des parents stricts.	私は厳しい親に育てられました。
Easygoing parents	Relaxed and lenient	My parents are easygoing.	Mis padres son relajados.	Mes parents sont décontractés.	私の両親は気楽です。

Family Roles and Terms

These words describe the roles or relationships within a family.

Roles within the Family

Parent: mother or father
Siblings: brothers and sisters
Guardian: person legally responsible for a child
Spouse: husband or wife
Partner: someone you are in a relationship with
In-laws: relatives by marriage (e.g., mother-in-law, brother-in-law)
Twin: one of two children born at the same time

English Word	Meaning	Example	Spanish Example	French Example	Japanese Example
Parent	Mother or father	Both my parents work.	Mis dos padres trabajan.	Mes deux parents travaillent.	両親は二人とも働いています。
Siblings	Brothers and sisters	I have three siblings.	Tengo tres hermanos.	J’ai trois frères et sœurs.	兄弟が三人います。
Guardian	Legal caretaker of a child	Her guardian is her uncle.	Su tutor es su tío.	Son tuteur est son oncle.	彼女の保護者はおじです。
Spouse	Husband or wife	His spouse is a doctor.	Su cónyuge es médico.	Son conjoint est médecin.	彼の配偶者は医者です。
Partner	Significant other	She moved in with her partner.	Se mudó con su pareja.	Elle a emménagé avec son partenaire.	彼女はパートナーと同居しています。
In-laws	Relatives by marriage	I get along with my in-laws.	Me llevo bien con mis suegros.	Je m’entends bien avec mes beaux-parents.	義理の家族と仲がいいです。
Twin	One of two siblings born together	I have a twin brother.	Tengo un hermano gemelo.	J’ai un frère jumeau.	双子の兄がいます。

Fill in the blank: After their parents passed away, their uncle became their _______.

sibling

guardian

partner

spouse

guardian

A 'guardian' is a person legally responsible for a child when parents are unable to care for them. Partner and spouse refer to relationship roles; sibling is a brother or sister.

Fill in the blank: My _______ are visiting for the holidays, including my mother-in-law and brother-in-law.

grandparents

in-laws

cousins

siblings

in-laws

'In-laws' are relatives by marriage, such as mother-in-law or brother-in-law. Cousins and siblings are blood relatives; grandparents are older family members.

Using Family Vocabulary in Sentences

Here are some example sentences that use the family vocabulary and descriptive words.

English Sentence	Meaning	Spanish Example	French Example	Japanese Example
I have a small family with one brother and two sisters.	Describes family size and siblings	Tengo una familia pequeña con un hermano y dos hermanas.	J’ai une petite famille avec un frère et deux sœurs.	兄が一人、妹が二人の小さな家族です。
My parents are very supportive and loving.	Describes parents’ behavior	Mis padres son muy solidarios y cariñosos.	Mes parents sont très solidaires et aimants.	両親はとても支え合っていて愛情深いです。
We have a large extended family that gathers every summer.	Describes family gatherings	Tenemos una gran familia extendida que se reúne cada verano.	Nous avons une grande famille élargie qui se réunit chaque été.	毎年夏に大家族が集まります。
She grew up in a single-parent family with her mother.	Describes family structure	Ella creció en una familia monoparental con su madre.	Elle a grandi dans une famille monoparentale avec sa mère.	彼女は母子家庭で育ちました。
My uncle and aunt live in another city.	Describes extended family	Mi tío y mi tía viven en otra ciudad.	Mon oncle et ma tante habitent dans une autre ville.	おじとおばは別の町に住んでいます。

Conclusion

Describing family in English is about more than just naming relatives—you can also talk about family size, roles, and the nature of relationships. Practice using these words and phrases to share more about your own family story.

Flashcards (1 of 34)

Singular: Mother / Mom / Mum
Plural: Mothers / Moms / Mums
Japanese Example: 私の母は親切です。

English Example: My mother is kind.

Last updated: Wed Jun 18, 2025