Family vocabulary is an important part of everyday Spanish conversation. These words help you talk about relatives, describe relationships, and introduce members of your family. Many Spanish family words also follow gender patterns, meaning masculine and feminine forms may be different. In this module, you will learn common family vocabulary and see how these words are used in simple Spanish sentences.
Immediate family members include parents and siblings.
These words are commonly used when introducing family members or talking about your household.
Padre – father
Madre – mother
Hermano – brother
Hermana – sister
Bebé – baby
Sample Sentences
Mi padre trabaja en un hospital – My father works in a hospital
Mi madre prepara la cena – My mother prepares dinner
Mi hermano juega fútbol en el parque – My brother plays soccer in the park
Mi hermana estudia medicina en la universidad – My sister studies medicine at the university
El bebé duerme en la cuna – The baby sleeps in the crib
Extended family members include grandparents, aunts, uncles, and cousins.
These words are often used when talking about family gatherings or relatives who live in different places.
Abuelo – grandfather
Abuela – grandmother
Tío – uncle
Tía – aunt
Primo – cousin
Prima – cousin
Sample Sentences
Mi abuelo lee el periódico por la mañana – My grandfather reads the newspaper in the morning
Mi abuela prepara pan en la cocina – My grandmother prepares bread in the kitchen
Mi tío trabaja en una oficina – My uncle works in an office
Mi tía cultiva flores en el jardín – My aunt grows flowers in the garden
Mi primo visita la ciudad los domingos – My cousin visits the city on Sundays
Spanish also has common words used to describe children and younger family members.
Hijo – son
Hija – daughter
Sobrino – nephew
Sobrina – niece
Familia – family
Sample Sentences
El hijo estudia ingeniería en la universidad – The son studies engineering at the university
La hija toca el piano en la escuela – The daughter plays the piano at school
El sobrino corre en el patio – The nephew runs in the yard
La sobrina dibuja un paisaje en el cuaderno – The niece draws a landscape in the notebook
La familia cena junta cada noche – The family eats dinner together every night
Family vocabulary is often used with possessive words such as mi – my, tu – your, and su – his / her / your.
These words help show relationships between people.
Sample Sentences
Mi abuelo cuenta historias interesantes – My grandfather tells interesting stories
Tu hermana trabaja en un restaurante – Your sister works in a restaurant
Su madre conduce un carro rojo – His or her mother drives a red car
Nuestro primo vive cerca del lago – Our cousin lives near the lake
Su tío prepara una comida deliciosa – His or her uncle prepares a delicious meal
In this module, you learned common Spanish vocabulary used to talk about family members. You studied words for immediate family such as padre, madre, hermano, and hermana, as well as extended family members like abuelo, tía, and primo. You also learned how family vocabulary is often used with possessive words like mi, tu, and su to describe relationships. These words will help you talk about your family and understand conversations about relatives in Spanish.