Vocabulary You Need To Identify Your Family In Spanish
Written byJada Lòpez- Read time13 mins
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If you’ve moved to a Spanish-speaking country, you’ll eventually be asked about your family.
Knowing how to identify your family in Spanish is obviously important and, even though there are quite a few words to remember, it’s not that difficult.
Learn all the words you need to talk about your family in Spanish using this guide.
Using masculine plurals to identify family members
Before we get started with the vocabulary, let’s first mention the importance of masculine plurals when identifying family in Spanish.
We use masculine plurals when identifying a group of people in which there are both men and women.
For this reason, if you use the phrase tres hermanos, this can refer to a group of brothers and sisters – not just brothers.
Masculine plurals can be used in this way to describe parents or padres, cousins or primos, and children, or hijos.
If you’re referring exclusively to women or girls, you can use the feminine plural.
So, if you’ve got two twin daughters, you can call them your hijas. If you have two female cousins, you can call them your primas.
How can you tell which family members are being referred to with masculine plurals?
Say you hear someone talking about los hermanos.
In Spanish, it can be a bit difficult at first to know whether someone is referring to more than one brother or referring to a group of brothers and sisters.
You’ll have to consider the context and listen carefully to understand whether they mean “the siblings” or “the brothers” when talking about family in Spanish.
For example, you might hear someone say:
Mis hermanos son muy felices.
This sentence can either mean “my brothers are very happy”, or “my siblings are very happy”.
You’ll need to follow the conversation very closely to understand which one they are referring to, or ask a follow up question to find out.
Key vocabulary to use when identifying family in Spanish
Let’s now explore the key vocabulary you should use when identifying your family in Spanish.
This section is divided into close family members and wider family members.
Vocabulary for close family in Spanish
We’ll start with the vocabulary you can use for identifying close family in Spanish.
Have you encountered these words before?
Madre
Madre means “mother” in Spanish.
It is a feminine, singular noun or sustantivo and can also refer to a woman who has qualities that are attributed to being a mother.
Usage example:
Mi madre tenía veintisiete a~nos cuando dio a luz.
Padre
In Spanish, padre means “father”. It is masculine singular noun used to refer to a male (or un varón) who has a child or upwards of one child.
Usage example:
Mi padre dijo que me parezco a su abuelo.
Padres
Padres is a masculine plural noun that means “parents” in English. It refers to the father and mother of a person and can be used to refer to both of them.
Usage example:
Mis padres están contentos con mis informes escolares.
Hermana
This feminine singular noun means “sister” in English. It is used to refer to a person who has a female sibling from the same father and mother as their own.
Usage example:
Su hermana siempre se quejaba de la música que escuchaba.
Hermano
Hermano is a masculine singular sustantivo. Use it to mention someone who is a male sibling from the same mother and father as your own.
Usage example:
Su hermano la cuidó y protegió cuando era joven.
Hermanos
Hermanos is a masculine plural noun. You can use it to mention a group of many brothers or a group of siblings that are both males and females.
Usage examples:
Los hermanos siempre se peleaban por nada.
Los hermanos nacieron en Inglaterra y aprendieron inglés allí.
Abuela
The Spanish word abuela is a feminine noun that means “grandmother”. Use it when you want to refer to the mother of your father or the mother of your mother.
Usage example:
Mi abuela siempre le gustaba hacer torrijas deliciosas.
Abuelo
This sustantivo is a masculine noun for “grandfather”. It’s used to identify the father of your mother or the father of your father.
Usage example:
Mi abuelo siempre me dió chocolates ricos.
Abuelos
The masculine plural noun abuelos can be used to identify or refer to the parents of one of your parents, or all of your grandparents.
Usage examples:
Todos mis abuelos vivieron en la misma ciudad.
Solo tengo dos abuelos. Mis abuelos por parte de madre fallecieron hace muchos a~nos.
Esposa
Esposa means “wife” in English. This feminine Spanish noun refers to a woman who is married and references the relationship to her spouse or husband.
Usage example:
Mi esposa le gustan los chocolates negros y olivas. Yo no.
Esposo
Esposo means “husband” in English. The masculine Spanish noun refers to a man who is married and relates to the spousal relationship to their wife.
Usage example:
A mi marido no le gustan los melocotones ni las limas. Yo sí.
Hijo
The masculine sustantivo, hijo, means “son” in English. There’s a difference between hijo and ni~no. Use hijo to refer to your son, no matter their age and ni~no to refer to a male child.
Usage example:
Nuestro hijo es alto. !Es más alto que su padre!
Hija
The feminine sustantivo, hija, means “daughter” in English. Note the difference between hija and ni~na. Use hija to refer to your daughter, regardless of how old they are, and ni~na to refer to a female child.
Usage example:
Nuestra hija tiene mucho talento. Creo que será actriz.
Hijos
This mascline plural sustantivo means
The masculine plural Spanish noun hijos refers to a group of sons and daughters. It translates to English as “offspring” and can also mean “children”.
Usage example:
Mis hijos tienen trabajos muy duros.
Nieto
Nieto is a masculine sustantivo that means “grandson” in English.
Usage example:
Tengo un nieto que siempre dice lo que piensa.
Nieta
Nieta is a feminine sustantivo that means “granddaughter” in English.
Usage example:
A mi nieta le encanta la música clásica.
Nietos
Use this masculine plural Spanish noun to refer to a group of grandchildren that includes males and females, or to identify several grandsons.
Usage examples:
Mis nietos van a la universidad. Son muy listos.
A mis nietos les gusta el fútbol y arreglar coches.
Vocabulary for extended family in Spanish
Now we’re going to move on to the vocabulary you need to identify extended family in Spanish. Have you ever heard of these words?
Tía
The Spanish sustantivo, tía means “aunt” or “aunty” in English. Though it can also mean “girl” or “chick” when referring to a female friend.
Usage examples:
A mi tía le gusta cocinar huevos cocidos con zanahorias y coliflor.
Lorena es una tía super guay.
Tío
This is the masculine equivalent of the Spanish sustantivo tía. Tío means “uncle” in English. Just like the word tía, tío can be used as a colloquial word to refer to a male friend as “mate” or “guy”.
Usage example:
A mi tío le gusta cortar la hierba todos los domingos.
Alex es un tío muy gracioso.
Tía abuela
Use this Spanish sustantivo to refer to your great-aunt. You can remember by bearing in mind that it features the feminine sustantivo tía, meaning “aunty”.
Usage example:
Gloria es mi tía abuela. Tiene cien a~nos y tendrá ciento uno el mes que viene.
Tío abuelo
Use this Spanish sustantivo to refer to your great-uncle. Again, keep in mind that it features the masculine sustantivo tío, which means “uncle” to help you remember it.
Usage example:
Mi tío abuelo murió hace siete a~nos. Tengo una foto de él.
Prima
Prima, in Spanish, is a feminine noun that means “cousin” in English.
If you’ve got many female cousins, you can use the plural term primas to refer to them.
Usage example:
Mis primas tienen un perro que ladra cuando las visito.
Primo
Use primo to refer to a cousin that is male, and if you need to refer to a group of male cousins, use primos.
Usage example:
Su primo le ha ense~nado como nadar y bucear.
Primos
As mentioned just above, primos (the plural of primo) can be used to refer to several male cousins, or to reference a group of male and female cousins.
Usage example:
Tengo siete primos. Jack es el más joven de todos los primos.
Sobrina
Sobrina means “niece” in Spanish. Use this sustantivo to refer to the daughter of your brother or sister.
Usage example:
Ense~né a mi sobrina a cantar y bailar. Le encanta la música rock.
Sobrino
Sobrino is the masculine sustantivo or noun for the word “nephew”. Use it to refer to the son of your brother or sister.
Usage example:
Tu sobrino estaba tomando el pelo de su amigo. Que bromista.
Madrastra
Your madrastra is your stepmother. You can remember this sustantivo by keeping in mind that its first half sounds like madre.
Usage example:
Ella y su madrastra siempre discuten.
Padrastro
Your padrastro is your stepfather. Keep in mind that the first half sounds like padre to help you remember what it means.
Usage example:
Debes sentirte feliz de ser padrastro de él.
Hijastra
Use this noun to identify or talk about a stepdaughter in Spanish.
Usage example:
Tu hijastra necesita ayuda con sus deberes. ?La ayudas?
Hijastro
This noun can be used to identify or talk about a stepson in Spanish.
El comportamiento de tu hijastro es muy raro. ?Hablarás con él?
Hermanastra
Refer to a stepsister using this noun in Spanish.
Usage example:
Nunca le gustó su hermanastra. Siempre se gritaban.
Hermanastro
This noun can be used to refer to a stepbrother in Spanish.
Usage example:
Tengo un hermanastro que toca la guitarra muy bien.
Media hermana
Media hermana, containing the Spanish word media for “half”, means half-sister.
Usage example:
Tengo una media hermana que se parece a mi padre.
Medio hermano
Medio hermano, which contains the Spanish adjective medio for “half”, means half-brother.
Usage example:
Mi medio hermano es mayor que yo y muy inteligente.
Madrina
The feminine sustantivo madrina means “godmother” in English. Again, it sounds similar to madre, which might help you remember this one.
Usage example:
Luisa es la madrina de Ana. Siempre la protegía y cuidaba.
Padrino
The masculine sustantivo, padrino, means “godfather” in English. It also sounds similar to padre, which can help you remember this noun.
Usage example:
Nunca quería ser padrino de Susana, pero la ense~nó bien.
Ahijada
Ahijada means “goddaughter” in English.
Usage example:
Estoy orgullosa de ser tu ahijada. Eres el mejor miembro de la familia que tengo.
Ahijado
Ahijado refers to a godson in Spanish.
Usage example:
Mi ahijado tiene talento. Será un artista famoso, estoy seguro.
Suegra
When you get married and have a new mother-in-law, use this Spanish sustantivo to refer to her.
Usage example:
Aprendí a cocinar todas mis recetas de mi suegra.
Suegro
Use the Spanish sustantivo, suegro, to refer to a father-in-law.
Usage example:
Aprendí a arreglar bicicletas de mi suegro. Me alegro de haberlo hecho.
Cu~nada
Cu~nada means sister-in-law in English.
Usage example:
Mi cu~nada me ense~nó a hacer un pastel de chocolate. Sabe muy rico.
Cu~nado
Cu ~nado means brother-in-law in English.
Usage example:
A su cu~nado le gustaba jugar al baloncesto. Se jugaban juntos, siempre.
Learn how to identify family in Spanish
When a Spanish speaker asks you about your family in Spanish, you should now be equipped to answer them.
Learn how to identify and talk about family in Spanish by practicing the nouns listed in this guide.
Any family members I missed?
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