Family vocabulary, describing family members, and German family terms for relationships, roles, and ages.
Describing family in German involves learning vocabulary for family members, how to indicate relationships, and expressing roles and ages. This page covers essential German family terms and example sentences to help you talk about your family confidently.
Family Member Vocabulary
These are the basic German words for immediate and extended family members, along with example sentences.
| German Singular | German Plural | English Singular | English Plural | German Example | English Example |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mutter (die) | Mütter | mother | mothers | Meine Mutter ist Lehrerin. | My mother is a teacher. |
| Vater (der) | Väter | father | fathers | Mein Vater arbeitet viel. | My father works a lot. |
| Schwester (die) | Schwestern | sister | sisters | Ich habe eine Schwester. | I have a sister. |
| Bruder (der) | Brüder | brother | brothers | Mein Bruder ist älter. | My brother is older. |
| Großmutter (die) / Oma (die) | Großmütter / Omas | grandmother | grandmothers | Meine Oma backt Kuchen. | My grandmother bakes cake. |
| Großvater (der) / Opa (der) | Großväter / Opas | grandfather | grandfathers | Mein Opa erzählt Geschichten. | My grandfather tells stories. |
| Tante (die) | Tanten | aunt | aunts | Meine Tante wohnt in Berlin. | My aunt lives in Berlin. |
| Onkel (der) | Onkel | uncle | uncles | Mein Onkel ist Musiker. | My uncle is a musician. |
| Cousin (der) | Cousins | male cousin | cousins | Mein Cousin ist mein bester Freund. | My cousin is my best friend. |
| Cousine (die) | Cousinen | female cousin | cousins | Meine Cousine spielt Tennis. | My cousin plays tennis. |
Mi ___ es mayor.
What is the German word for 'brother'?
Bruder
'Bruder' means 'brother' in German. 'Brüder' is the plural form ('brothers').
Describing Relationships
These phrases help you explain how family members are related to each other in German.
| German Phrase | English Translation | German Example | English Example |
|---|---|---|---|
| ist verheiratet mit | is married to | Meine Tante ist verheiratet mit meinem Onkel. | My aunt is married to my uncle. |
| ist der/die ... von | is the ... of | Sie ist die Tochter von meinen Eltern. | She is the daughter of my parents. |
| ist schwanger | is pregnant | Meine Schwester ist schwanger. | My sister is pregnant. |
| ist geschieden | is divorced | Mein Onkel ist geschieden. | My uncle is divorced. |
| ist ledig | is single | Meine Cousine ist ledig. | My cousin is single. |
| hat ... Kinder | has ... children | Meine Eltern haben zwei Kinder. | My parents have two children. |
| ist das Enkelkind von | is the grandchild of | Ich bin das Enkelkind von meiner Oma. | I am the grandchild of my grandmother. |
Describing Ages
These words and phrases help you say how old family members are in German.
| German Phrase | English Translation | German Example | English Example |
|---|---|---|---|
| ist ... Jahre alt | is ... years old | Mein Bruder ist 20 Jahre alt. | My brother is 20 years old. |
| ist jünger als | is younger than | Meine Schwester ist jünger als ich. | My sister is younger than me. |
| ist älter als | is older than | Mein Vater ist älter als meine Mutter. | My father is older than my mother. |
| ist ein Baby | is a baby | Das Baby ist sehr süß. | The baby is very cute. |
| ist ein Kleinkind | is a toddler | Das Kleinkind spielt im Garten. | The toddler is playing in the garden. |
| ist ein Teenager | is a teenager | Meine Tochter ist ein Teenager. | My daughter is a teenager. |
Family Roles and Descriptions
These words describe common roles and characteristics within the family.
| German Word/Phrase | English Translation | German Example | English Example |
|---|---|---|---|
| das Familienmitglied | family member | Jedes Familienmitglied hat eine Rolle. | Every family member has a role. |
| der/die Älteste | the oldest | Die Älteste kümmert sich um die Kleinen. | The oldest takes care of the little ones. |
| der/die Jüngste | the youngest | Der Jüngste bekommt immer besondere Aufmerksamkeit. | The youngest always gets special attention. |
| der/die Single | single | Meine Schwester ist noch Single. | My sister is still single. |
| der/die Verheiratete | married person | Meine Eltern sind verheiratet. | My parents are married. |
| der/die Geschiedene | divorced person | Mein Onkel ist geschieden. | My uncle is divorced. |
| der/die Schwangere | pregnant person | Meine Schwiegermutter ist schwanger. | My mother-in-law is pregnant. |
| das Einzelkind | only child | Ich bin ein Einzelkind. | I am an only child. |
Talking About Family Activities
Use these sentences to describe common family activities and traditions in German.
| German Phrase | English Translation | German Example | English Example |
|---|---|---|---|
| Wir feiern zusammen Weihnachten. | We celebrate Christmas together. | Wir feiern zusammen Weihnachten. | We celebrate Christmas together. |
| Wir essen am Sonntag mit der Familie. | We eat with the family on Sunday. | Am Sonntag essen wir mit der Familie. | On Sunday, we eat with the family. |
| Wir besuchen unsere Großeltern. | We visit our grandparents. | Wir besuchen unsere Großeltern am Wochenende. | We visit our grandparents on the weekend. |
| Wir machen Familientreffen. | We have family reunions. | Im Sommer machen wir Familientreffen. | In summer, we have family reunions. |
| Meine Eltern gehen spazieren. | My parents go for a walk. | Meine Eltern gehen jeden Abend spazieren. | My parents go for a walk every evening. |
| Ich helfe zu Hause. | I help at home. | Ich helfe meinen Eltern zu Hause. | I help my parents at home. |
How do you say 'We visit our grandparents on the weekend' in German?
Wir besuchen unsere Großeltern am Wochenende.
Die korrekte Übersetzung ist 'Wir besuchen unsere Großeltern am Wochenende.'
Summary
This page provided essential German vocabulary and phrases for describing family members, relationships, ages, roles, and common activities. You’re now equipped to talk about your family with confidence!
Flashcards (1 of 37)
- English Singular: mother
- English Plural: mothers
- English Example: My mother is a teacher.
Last updated: Thu Jun 12, 2025
