Family in Spanish: Words, Phrases and Family Members

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The basic word for “family” in Spanish is la familia. From there, a small set of possessives, relationship words and questions lets you talk about the people who matter to you.

I grew up torn by my dual nationality, never knowing where I belonged. The number of countries I’ve lived in is greater than the number of years I spent living in my birthplace. For these reasons, I’ve grown up knowing that home isn’t a place. Home is the people you love. And the people I love the most are my family!

This guide gives you the core vocabulary, explains the regional and grammatical details that can trip learners up, and ends with a short practice model you can use in conversation.

How to Say “Family” in Spanish: Familia

“Family” is la familia. It is a feminine singular noun, so you say la familia or una familia. The plural is las familias.

Familia and “family” are cognates: they share a Latin root and have related meanings. The spelling makes this word easy to recognise, but listen for the Spanish pronunciation rather than reading it as English.

• la familia inmediata – “immediate family”
• la familia extendida – “extended family”
• la familia ensamblada or la familia reconstituida – “blended family”
• la familia política – “in-laws” or “family by marriage”
• la familia adoptiva – “adoptive family”
• la familia de acogida – “foster family”
• la familia monoparental – “single-parent family”
• la familia elegida – “chosen family”

The Spanish word familiar can be an adjective meaning “family-related” or “familiar”. It can also be a noun meaning “relative”: un familiar mío is “a relative of mine”. The context tells you which meaning is intended.

How to Say “My Family” in Spanish: Mi Familia

“My family” is mi familia. Here mi is an unstressed possessive determiner because it comes before the noun. It has no written accent; mí, with an accent, means “me” after a preposition.

• mi familia – “my family”
• tu familia – “your family” with informal singular tú or vos
• su familia – “his family”, “her family”, “their family” or formal “your family”
• nuestra familia – “our family”
• vuestra familia – informal plural “your family”, mainly in Spain

Because su can point to several people, Spanish speakers often clarify when necessary: la familia de él, la familia de ella or la familia de ustedes. Across most of Latin America, plural “your family” is su familia with ustedes; vuestra familia goes with vosotros or vosotras, used mainly in Spain.

For a fuller explanation, see our guide to Spanish possessive adjectives.

How to Say “Family Member” in Spanish: Miembro de la Familia

A “family member” is un miembro de la familia. A “relative” is un pariente or un familiar. Here are the relationship words you are most likely to need.

Immediate family and partners

• la madre / el padre – “mother / father”
• los padres – “parents” or “fathers”, depending on context
• la hija / el hijo – “daughter / son”
• la hermana / el hermano – “sister / brother”
• la esposa / el esposo – “wife / husband”
• la pareja – “partner” or “couple”, according to context

Mujer and marido can also mean “wife” and “husband”. Preferences vary by region and speaker, so notice what the people around you use.

Extended family

• la abuela / el abuelo – “grandmother / grandfather”
• la bisabuela / el bisabuelo – “great-grandmother / great-grandfather”
• la nieta / el nieto – “granddaughter / grandson”
• la bisnieta / el bisnieto – “great-granddaughter / great-grandson”
• la tía / el tío – “aunt / uncle”
• la sobrina / el sobrino – “niece / nephew”
• la prima / el primo – “female cousin / male cousin”
• la prima hermana / el primo hermano – “first cousin” when the distinction matters
• la prima segunda / el primo segundo – “second cousin”

Blended family and half-siblings

• la madrastra / el padrastro – “stepmother / stepfather”
• la hermanastra / el hermanastro – “stepsister / stepbrother”
• la hijastra / el hijastro – “stepdaughter / stepson”
• la media hermana / el medio hermano – “half-sister / half-brother”
• hermana/hermano por parte de madre – “maternal half-sister/half-brother”
• hermana/hermano por parte de padre – “paternal half-sister/half-brother”

In-laws and godfamily

• la suegra / el suegro – “mother-in-law / father-in-law”
• la cuñada / el cuñado – “sister-in-law / brother-in-law”
• la nuera / el yerno – “daughter-in-law / son-in-law”
• la consuegra / el consuegro – the mother or father of your child’s spouse
• la madrina / el padrino – “godmother / godfather”
• la ahijada / el ahijado – “goddaughter / godson”

Use the labels a person uses for their own relationships. When a gendered family word does not fit or you do not know the relationship, familiar, pariente, pareja or the person’s name may be the clearest choice.

Here is the original downloadable chart for the core terms:

Rules of Gender and Number Agreement and the Spanish Family Members Collectives

Many relationship nouns come in feminine and masculine pairs, such as hermana/hermano and suegra/suegro. The article and any adjective agree with the noun: mi hermana mayor is “my older sister”, while mi hermano mayor is “my older brother”. Not every noun follows an -a/-o pattern, so learn the article with the word.

Spanish traditionally uses the masculine plural for an all-male or mixed group. Los hermanos can therefore mean “the brothers” or “the siblings”; las hermanas means “the sisters”. Likewise, los tíos can mean uncles or a mixed group of aunts and uncles. If the distinction matters, say hermanos y hermanas or name the people directly.

Los padres commonly means “the parents”, but it can also mean “the fathers”. Los progenitores is a more formal gender-neutral term for parents, especially in administrative writing.

Spanish Nicknames for Family Members

Family nicknames vary enormously by country and household. Mamá and papá are common everyday words for “mum/mom” and “dad”; mami and papi are affectionate in many families. Their tone can change outside a family setting, so context matters.

• abu or abue – shortened forms of abuela or abuelo
• abuelita / abuelito – affectionate diminutives
• hermanita / hermanito – “little/dear sister or brother”
• primita / primito – “little/dear cousin”
• yaya / yayo, nana / nono – family- and region-dependent grandparent names

Diminutives are not made by attaching -ito mechanically to every word. The form can change with the ending, region and family habit. For example, abuela becomes abuelita, and mamá may become mamita.

In some families, a grandmother may be called Mamá plus her name or another distinguishing word. It confused me the first time I heard it, but it made sense once I understood that family’s convention.

How to Say “I Love My Family” in Spanish

Two natural options are Quiero a mi familia and Amo a mi familia. You can also say Quiero mucho a mi familia, “I love my family very much”.

Querer and amar both express love. Their relative intensity and everyday frequency vary by region, relationship and speaker, so there is no universal scale on which querer is merely friendship and amar is always stronger. Our guide to saying “I love you” in Spanish explains the choices in more detail.

• La familia lo es todo. – “Family is everything.”
• La familia es para siempre. – “Family is forever.”
• La familia es lo primero. – “Family comes first.”

More Spanish Sentences and Phrases About Family

• ¿Cómo está tu familia? – “How is your family?”
• ¿Tienes hermanos? – “Do you have siblings?” or “Do you have brothers?”
• Tengo una hermana mayor y un hermano menor. – “I have an older sister and a younger brother.”
• Vivo con mi pareja. – “I live with my partner.”
• Esta es mi familia. – “This is my family.”
• Tenemos una familia muy unida. – “We have a close-knit family.”
• Tienes una familia preciosa. – “You have a lovely family.”
• mi árbol genealógico – “my family tree”
• una reunión familiar – “a family gathering”
• una disputa familiar – “a family dispute”

The proverb Cuando seas padre, comerás huevo literally says, “When you’re a father, you’ll eat an egg.” It has traditionally been used to put off a child or someone considered too young or unimportant to receive something. It is gendered and can sound dated, so treat it as a phrase to recognise rather than a default line to use.

Now You Can Talk About Family in Spanish!

Start with five people or relationships that are relevant to your life. Write one true sentence about each, then practise answering three questions: ¿Tienes hermanos?, ¿Dónde vive tu familia? and ¿Cómo es tu familia?

If a question feels too personal, you can say Prefiero no hablar de eso, “I’d rather not talk about that”, or practise with a fictional family instead. A useful speaking exercise should give you control over what you share.

For your next vocabulary set, learn the most common Spanish words, or use these family terms while practising Spanish reflexive verbs.

I have to go video call my family now. ¡Hasta luego! (“See you later!”)