This page covers vocabulary for talking about family in Spanish, including words for relatives, relationships, and common expressions.

Family Members

Family members are the building blocks of any family description. This list includes the most common Spanish words for relatives, from immediate family to more distant kin.

Spanish Singular	Spanish Plural	English Singular	English Plural	Spanish Example	English Example
madre	madres	mother	mothers	Mi madre es doctora.	My mother is a doctor.
padre	padres	father	fathers	Mi padre cocina bien.	My father cooks well.
hermano	hermanos	brother	brothers	Tengo un hermano mayor.	I have an older brother.
hermana	hermanas	sister	sisters	Mi hermana es estudiante.	My sister is a student.
abuelo	abuelos	grandfather	grandfathers	Mi abuelo es muy sabio.	My grandfather is very wise.
abuela	abuelas	grandmother	grandmothers	La abuela hace galletas.	Grandma makes cookies.
tío	tíos	uncle	uncles	Mi tío vive en México.	My uncle lives in Mexico.
tía	tías	aunt	aunts	Mi tía es muy amable.	My aunt is very kind.
primo	primos	cousin (male)	cousins (male/mixed)	Mi primo juega fútbol.	My cousin plays soccer.
prima	primas	cousin (female)	cousins (female)	Mi prima canta bien.	My cousin sings well.

Family Relationships

These terms help you describe relationships within the family, including marital status and roles.

Spanish Singular	Spanish Plural	English Singular	English Plural	Spanish Example	English Example
esposo	esposos	husband	husbands	Mi esposo es ingeniero.	My husband is an engineer.
esposa	esposas	wife	wives	Su esposa es médica.	His wife is a doctor.
hijo	hijos	son	sons	Tengo un hijo pequeño.	I have a small son.
hija	hijas	daughter	daughters	Mi hija va a la escuela.	My daughter goes to school.
nieto	nietos	grandson	grandsons	El nieto juega en el parque.	The grandson plays in the park.
nieta	nietas	granddaughter	granddaughters	La nieta es muy creativa.	The granddaughter is very creative.
suegro	suegros	father-in-law	fathers-in-law	Mi suegro es muy estricto.	My father-in-law is very strict.
suegra	suegras	mother-in-law	mothers-in-law	La suegra prepara la cena.	The mother-in-law prepares dinner.
cuñado	cuñados	brother-in-law	brothers-in-law	Mi cuñado vive cerca.	My brother-in-law lives nearby.
cuñada	cuñadas	sister-in-law	sisters-in-law	Mi cuñada es simpática.	My sister-in-law is nice.

Describing Family Life

These vocabulary words and phrases allow you to talk about family activities, characteristics, and daily life.

Spanish Word/Phrase	English Translation	Spanish Example	English Example
familia	family	Mi familia es grande.	My family is big.
hogar	home	El hogar es donde está la familia.	Home is where the family is.
vivir juntos	live together	Nosotros vivimos juntos.	We live together.
cuidar	to take care of	Cuido a mis abuelos.	I take care of my grandparents.
apoyar	to support	Siempre apoyo a mi familia.	I always support my family.
celebrar	to celebrate	Celebramos cumpleaños juntos.	We celebrate birthdays together.
amor	love	Hay mucho amor en mi familia.	There is a lot of love in my family.
respeto	respect	El respeto es importante.	Respect is important.
tradiciones	traditions	Seguimos las tradiciones familiares.	We follow family traditions.
reunión familiar	family gathering	Tuvimos una reunión familiar.	We had a family gathering.

We had a family gathering.

Tuvimos un encuentro escolar.

Tuvimos una reunión familiar.

Tuvimos una fiesta de amigos.

Tuvimos una reunión de trabajo.

Tuvimos una reunión familiar.

"Reunión familiar" means family gathering. The other options refer to friends, work, or school, which are not about family.

Common Expressions

These are useful phrases for talking about family in everyday Spanish.

Spanish Expression	English Translation	Spanish Example	English Example
ser como dos gotas de agua	to be like two peas in a pod	Ellos son como dos gotas de agua.	They are like two peas in a pod.
llevarse bien	to get along well	Me llevo bien con mi hermano.	I get along well with my brother.
llevarse mal	to get along badly	Se llevan mal a veces.	They sometimes get along badly.
ser el hijo/a único/a	to be an only child	Soy hija única.	I am an only child.
tener buena/mala relación con	to have a good/bad relationship with	Tengo buena relación con mi madre.	I have a good relationship with my mother.
estar en la misma familia	to be in the same family	Estamos en la misma familia.	We are in the same family.
hacer las paces	to make up	Hicieron las paces después de la pelea.	They made up after the fight.
ser de buena familia	to come from a good family	Ella es de buena familia.	She comes from a good family.
ser el cabeza de familia	to be the head of the family	Mi abuelo es el cabeza de familia.	My grandfather is the head of the family.
mantener a la familia	to support the family	Él mantiene a la familia.	He supports the family.

They are like two peas in a pod.

Ellos son como hermanos lejanos.

Ellos son como dos gotas de agua.

Ellos son como dos perros y gatos.

Ellos son muy diferentes.

Ellos son como dos gotas de agua.

The expression "como dos gotas de agua" means they are very similar, like two peas in a pod. The other choices convey difference or unrelated meanings.

Grammar Tip: Family Vocabulary

Family nouns in Spanish have gender: masculine (usually ending in -o) and feminine (usually ending in -a). Use hermano for brother and hermana for sister.
The plural form adds -s (e.g., padre → padres).
Use the appropriate possessive adjective to indicate whose family member: mi (my), tu (your), su (his/her), nuestro/a (our).
When talking about mixed-gender groups, use the masculine plural form (e.g., hermanos can mean brothers or brothers and sisters).
Some family terms refer to relationships by marriage, such as suegro/a (father/mother-in-law) and cuñado/a (brother/sister-in-law).

With these vocabulary lists and grammar tips, you can confidently describe your family and talk about family life in Spanish.

Flashcards (1 of 40)

English Singular: mother
English Plural: mothers
English Example: My mother is a doctor.

Last updated: Wed Jun 18, 2025