{"id":81,"date":"2026-09-30T17:07:09","date_gmt":"2026-09-30T16:07:09","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/leweb2ks.dev\/vitrine-vocadial\/en\/resources\/family-in-spanish\/"},"modified":"2026-09-30T17:07:09","modified_gmt":"2026-09-30T16:07:09","slug":"family-in-spanish","status":"publish","type":"vd_ressource","link":"https:\/\/vocadial.com\/en\/resources\/family-in-spanish\/","title":{"rendered":"Family in Spanish: vocabulary, possessives and a classroom routine"},"content":{"rendered":"

Family members in Spanish<\/h2>\n\n

In the pronunciation column, capitals mark the stressed syllable and “h” stands for the jota, a throaty sound like the ch in Scottish “loch”. The Spanish h is always silent.<\/p>\n\n

The close family<\/h3>\n\n
Spanish<\/th>English<\/th>Say it like<\/th><\/tr><\/thead>
el padre<\/td>father<\/td>PAH-dreh<\/td><\/tr>
la madre<\/td>mother<\/td>MAH-dreh<\/td><\/tr>
los padres<\/td>parents<\/td>PAH-drehs<\/td><\/tr>
pap\u00e1 \/ mam\u00e1<\/td>dad \/ mum<\/td>pah-PAH \/ mah-MAH<\/td><\/tr>
el hermano<\/td>brother<\/td>er-MAH-noh<\/td><\/tr>
la hermana<\/td>sister<\/td>er-MAH-nah<\/td><\/tr>
los hermanos<\/td>brothers and sisters<\/td>er-MAH-nohs<\/td><\/tr>
el hijo<\/td>son<\/td>EE-hoh<\/td><\/tr>
la hija<\/td>daughter<\/td>EE-hah<\/td><\/tr>
los hijos<\/td>children (sons and daughters)<\/td>EE-hohs<\/td><\/tr>
el beb\u00e9<\/td>baby<\/td>beh-BEH<\/td><\/tr><\/tbody><\/table><\/figure>\n\n

The wider family<\/h3>\n\n
Spanish<\/th>English<\/th>Say it like<\/th><\/tr><\/thead>
el abuelo<\/td>grandfather<\/td>ah-BWEH-loh<\/td><\/tr>
la abuela<\/td>grandmother<\/td>ah-BWEH-lah<\/td><\/tr>
los abuelos<\/td>grandparents<\/td>ah-BWEH-lohs<\/td><\/tr>
el nieto \/ la nieta<\/td>grandson \/ granddaughter<\/td>NYEH-toh \/ NYEH-tah<\/td><\/tr>
el t\u00edo \/ la t\u00eda<\/td>uncle \/ aunt<\/td>TEE-oh \/ TEE-ah<\/td><\/tr>
el primo \/ la prima<\/td>cousin<\/td>PREE-moh \/ PREE-mah<\/td><\/tr>
el sobrino \/ la sobrina<\/td>nephew \/ niece<\/td>soh-BREE-noh \/ soh-BREE-nah<\/td><\/tr>
el marido, el esposo<\/td>husband<\/td>mah-REE-doh, es-POH-soh<\/td><\/tr>
la mujer, la esposa<\/td>wife<\/td>moo-HAIR, es-POH-sah<\/td><\/tr>
el padrastro \/ la madrastra<\/td>stepfather \/ stepmother<\/td>pah-DRAHS-troh \/ mah-DRAHS-trah<\/td><\/tr>
el hermanastro \/ la hermanastra<\/td>stepbrother \/ stepsister<\/td>er-mah-NAHS-troh<\/td><\/tr>
el medio hermano \/ la media hermana<\/td>half-brother \/ half-sister<\/td>MEH-dyoh er-MAH-noh<\/td><\/tr>
el suegro \/ la suegra<\/td>father-in-law \/ mother-in-law<\/td>SWEH-groh \/ SWEH-grah<\/td><\/tr>
el cu\u00f1ado \/ la cu\u00f1ada<\/td>brother-in-law \/ sister-in-law<\/td>koo-NYAH-doh<\/td><\/tr>
el padrino \/ la madrina<\/td>godfather \/ godmother<\/td>pah-DREE-noh \/ mah-DREE-nah<\/td><\/tr><\/tbody><\/table><\/figure>\n\n

Two points for English speakers. The d between vowels, as in padre<\/span>, madre<\/span> or cu\u00f1ado<\/span>, is soft, close to the th in “mother”. And t\u00edo<\/span> and t\u00eda<\/span> need their accent: the i is stressed and forms its own syllable.<\/p>\n\n

Grammar that comes with the family<\/h2>\n\n
  1. The masculine plural covers everyone.<\/strong> los padres<\/span> is “parents”, los hermanos<\/span> “brothers and sisters”, los t\u00edos<\/span> “aunts and uncles”. \u00bfTienes hermanos?<\/span> asks about siblings of either sex.<\/li>
  2. Possessives agree with the person owned, not the owner.<\/strong> mi padre<\/span>, mis padres<\/span>; tu hermana<\/span>, tus hermanas<\/span>. Only nuestro<\/span> and vuestro<\/span> change for gender: nuestra abuela<\/span>.<\/li>
  3. Su is ambiguous.<\/strong> su madre<\/span> can mean his, her, its, their or your (formal) mother. The context decides.<\/li>
  4. Age uses tener.<\/strong> Mi hermano tiene doce a\u00f1os<\/span>, never “es doce”.<\/li>
  5. Older and younger are mayor and menor.<\/strong> mi hermana mayor<\/span>, mi hermano menor<\/span>. Viejo<\/span> (old) would be rude.<\/li>
  6. Loved people take the personal a.<\/strong> Quiero mucho a mi abuela.<\/span> Visito a mis primos.<\/span><\/li><\/ol>\n\n

    Talking about your family<\/h3>\n\n

    \u00bfCu\u00e1ntas personas hay en tu familia?<\/span>How many people are there in your family?<\/small><\/p>\n\n

    En mi familia somos cuatro: mi madre, mi padrastro, mi hermana y yo.<\/span>There are four of us in my family: my mum, my stepdad, my sister and me.<\/small><\/p>\n\n

    Tengo dos hermanos y una hermana.<\/span>I’ve got two brothers and a sister.<\/small><\/p>\n\n

    Soy hijo \u00fanico. \/ Soy hija \u00fanica.<\/span>I’m an only child.<\/small><\/p>\n\n

    Mi hermana mayor se llama Luc\u00eda y tiene quince a\u00f1os.<\/span>My older sister is called Luc\u00eda and she’s fifteen.<\/small><\/p>\n\n

    Me llevo bien con mi primo.<\/span>I get on well with my cousin.<\/small><\/p>\n\n

    Mis padres est\u00e1n divorciados.<\/span>My parents are divorced.<\/small><\/p>\n\n

    Families take many forms. Let pupils describe a real family, part of it, or an invented one (a famous or fictional family works well), and never make a family tree compulsory. The vocabulary above covers step-families, half-siblings, and pupils who live with one parent (Vivo con mi madre<\/span>) or with two mums or two dads (Tengo dos madres<\/span>).<\/p>\n\n

    Surnames in the Spanish-speaking world<\/h2>\n\n

    In Spain, and in most of Latin America, people have two surnames (los apellidos<\/span>). Traditionally the first is the father’s first surname and the second is the mother’s first surname: the son of Juan Garc\u00eda L\u00f3pez and Ana Mart\u00edn Ruiz is called, for example, Pablo Garc\u00eda Mart\u00edn. In Spain, the law now lets parents choose the order.<\/p>\n\n

    In Spain, women keep their own surnames when they marry. Customs differ in some Latin American countries, where the husband’s surname could traditionally be added with de<\/span>.<\/p>\n\n

    This is a good cultural hook: pupils work out their own “Spanish” name with two surnames.<\/p>\n\n

    Idioms and expressions<\/h2>\n\n
    Spanish<\/th>Literally<\/th>Meaning<\/th><\/tr><\/thead>
    de tal palo, tal astilla<\/td>from such a stick, such a splinter<\/td>like father, like son<\/td><\/tr>
    ser la oveja negra<\/td>to be the black sheep<\/td>to be the black sheep of the family<\/td><\/tr>
    \u00a1Madre m\u00eda!<\/td>my mother!<\/td>goodness me!<\/td><\/tr>
    el que tiene padrino, se bautiza<\/td>whoever has a godfather gets baptised<\/td>it’s not what you know, it’s who you know<\/td><\/tr>
    la media naranja<\/td>the half orange<\/td>your other half, partner<\/td><\/tr><\/tbody><\/table><\/figure>\n\n

    Typical mistakes of English-speaking learners<\/h2>\n\n