Somos Familia- Describe Your Family in Spanish

Family is a common topic when you first meet someone. Maybe you’re on vacation with your family in a Spanish-speaking country, or you’re introducing yourself to your host family. Talking about relatives is also an easy conversation starter if you don’t know what to say, like if something reminds you of your father, or you’re asking for souvenir recommendations for your siblings.

Knowing how to describe your family in Spanish is important for new learners of Spanish– arguably as important as colors and numbers! Below, we’ll help you put together some simple sentences to talk about your family and ask about someone else’s.

Basic Family Vocabulary in Spanish

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If you’re early on in your Spanish journey, focus first on mastering the basics.

• La hermana- sister
• El hermano- brother
• El padre- father
  • You could also say el papá
• La madre- mother
  • You could also say la mamá
• El abuelo- grandfather
• La abuela- grandmother
• El tío- uncle
• La tía- aunt
• El primo- cousin (male)
• La prime- cousin (female)
• El hijo- son
• La hija- daughter

Advanced Family Vocabulary in Spanish

For those a little more advanced, you might want a challenge. Here are some more extended family members for you to talk about.

• La nuera- daughter-in-law
• El yerno- son-in-law
• El nieto- grandson
• La nieta- granddaughter
• El suegro- father-in-law
• La suegra- mother-in-law

Talking About Your Family in Spanish

Read moreOnline Activity: Conjugate Spanish Verbs in Present

Now that you know some vocabulary, let’s try putting it into practice. If you need to, now’s a good time to review basic verb conjugation in the present indicative.

*Note that when you refer to multiple people of different genders, Spanish defaults to the masculine plural form.

Here are some examples to help you talk about your own family:

• Tengo dos hermanos y una hermana.
  • I have two brothers and one sister.
• Mi hermana se llama Brianna.
  • My sister’s name is Brianna.
• *Vivo con mis abuelos.
  • I live with my grandparents.

Here are some sample questions you can ask someone else:

• *¿Tienes hermanos?
  • Do you have siblings?
• ¿Cómo se llama tu primo?
  • What’s your cousin’s name?
• *¿Tienes tíos?
  • Do you have uncles/aunts and uncles?

Practice practice practice!

Try writing five sentences about your family in Spanish. If you’re traveling or in a Spanish class, try sharing your sentences with a friend or classmate!