Family members vocabulary in French, including immediate and extended family roles with example sentences.
This page covers common French vocabulary for family members, from parents and siblings to grandparents and cousins. Each section includes example sentences to show how the words are used in context.
Immediate Family
These are the closest family members you live with or see most often.
| French Singular/Plural | English Singular/Plural | French Example | English Example |
|---|---|---|---|
| la mère / les mères | mother / mothers | Ma mère est médecin. | My mother is a doctor. |
| le père / les pères | father / fathers | Mon père aime le football. | My father likes soccer. |
| le frère / les frères | brother / brothers | J’ai un frère aîné. | I have an older brother. |
| la sœur / les sœurs | sister / sisters | Ma sœur habite à Paris. | My sister lives in Paris. |
| l’enfant / les enfants | child / children | L’enfant joue dehors. | The child is playing outside. |
| le fils / les fils | son / sons | Mon fils est en primaire. | My son is in elementary school. |
| la fille / les filles | daughter / daughters | Sa fille a six ans. | Her daughter is six years old. |
Tengo un ___ mayor.
What is the French word for 'older brother'?
le frère aîné
'Le frère aîné' means older brother. 'Le frère cadet' is younger brother, 'le cousin' is cousin, and 'le père' is father.
Extended Family
These relatives are part of the wider family network.
| French Singular/Plural | English Singular/Plural | French Example | English Example |
|---|---|---|---|
| le grand-père / les grands-pères | grandfather / grandfathers | Mon grand-père raconte des histoires. | My grandfather tells stories. |
| la grand-mère / les grands-mères | grandmother / grandmothers | Ma grand-mère fait de la soupe. | My grandmother makes soup. |
| l’oncle / les oncles | uncle / uncles | Mon oncle vit au Canada. | My uncle lives in Canada. |
| la tante / les tantes | aunt / aunts | Ma tante est professeure. | My aunt is a teacher. |
| le cousin / les cousins | cousin (m.) / cousins | Mon cousin est très sportif. | My male cousin is very athletic. |
| la cousine / les cousines | cousin (f.) / cousins | Ma cousine chante bien. | My female cousin sings well. |
Other Family Roles
These terms describe less direct but still important family relationships.
| French Singular/Plural | English Singular/Plural | French Example | English Example |
|---|---|---|---|
| le beau-père / les beaux-pères | stepfather / fathers-in-law | Mon beau-père est gentil. | My stepfather is kind. |
| la belle-mère / les belles-mères | stepmother / mothers-in-law | Ma belle-mère cuisine bien. | My stepmother cooks well. |
| le beau-frère / les beaux-frères | brother-in-law / stepbrothers | Mon beau-frère est musicien. | My brother-in-law is a musician. |
| la belle-sœur / les belles-sœurs | sister-in-law / stepsisters | Ma belle-sœur habite Lyon. | My sister-in-law lives in Lyon. |
| le gendre / les gendres | son-in-law / sons-in-law | Son gendre est ingénieur. | Her son-in-law is an engineer. |
| la bru / les brues | daughter-in-law / daughters-in-law | Sa bru est très gentille. | His daughter-in-law is very kind. |
| le grand-enfant / les petits-enfants | grandchild / grandchildren | J’ai trois petits-enfants. | I have three grandchildren. |
Family Collective Terms
These words refer to groups or concepts related to family.
| French Singular | English Singular | French Example | English Example |
|---|---|---|---|
| la famille | family | La famille est importante. | Family is important. |
| les parents | parents | Mes parents sont en vacances. | My parents are on vacation. |
| les enfants | children | Les enfants jouent au parc. | The children are playing in the park. |
| les grands-parents | grandparents | Les grands-parents visitent demain. | The grandparents are visiting tomorrow. |
| les cousins | cousins | Nous sommes allés chez les cousins. | We went to the cousins’ house. |
| la fratrie | siblings | La fratrie est très unie. | The siblings are very close. |
| les proches | relatives / close ones | Je passe du temps avec mes proches. | I spend time with my relatives. |
Family Role Descriptions
These adjectives and phrases help describe family members’ roles or characteristics.
| French | English | French Example | English Example |
|---|---|---|---|
| aîné(e) | older / eldest | Mon frère aîné est professeur. | My older brother is a teacher. |
| cadet(te) | younger | Ma sœur cadette est étudiante. | My younger sister is a student. |
| unique | only child | Je suis enfant unique. | I am an only child. |
| adoptif / adoptive | adoptive | Ils ont un fils adoptif. | They have an adoptive son. |
| remarié(e) | remarried | Ma mère est remariée. | My mother is remarried. |
| monoparental(e) | single-parent | Une famille monoparentale habite ici. | A single-parent family lives here. |
| élargi(e) | extended | Nous avons une famille élargie. | We have an extended family. |
Understanding these terms provides a strong foundation for talking about family in French, whether you’re describing your own relatives or asking about someone else’s.
Mi madre está ___.
What does 'remarié(e)' mean?
remarried
'Remarié(e)' means remarried. It does not mean widowed, single, or divorced.
Flashcards (1 of 34)
- English Singular/Plural: mother / mothers
- English Example: My mother is a doctor.
Last updated: Thu Jun 12, 2025
