Last Updated on March 11, 2024 by Viviana
If you’re learning Spanish, one of the first things you’ll need to know is how to talk about your family members. In this blog post, we’ll go over the most common Spanish words for family members and show you how to use them in sentences. So let’s get started!
| Español | Inglés |
|---|---|
| Madre | Mother |
| Padre | Father |
| Padres | Parents |
| Hijo | Son |
| Hija | Daughter |
| Hermano | Brother |
| Hermana | Sister |
| Hermanos (plural) | Siblings |
| Abuela | Grandmother |
| Abuelo | Grandfather |
| Abuelos | Grandparents |
| Tío | Uncle |
| Tía | Aunt |
| Tíos (plural) | Aunts and uncles |
| Primo | Cousin |
| Prima | Cousin |
| Primos (plural) | Cousins |
| Nieto | Grandson |
| Nieta | Granddaughter |
| Nietos (plural) | Grandchildren |
| Esposo | Husband |
| Esposa | Wife |
| Cónyuge | Spouse |
| Suegra | Mother-in-law |
| Suegro | Father-in-law |
| Yerno | Son-in-law |
| Nuera | Daughter-in-law |
| Cuñado | Brother-in-law |
| Cuñada | Sister-in-law |
The Spanish language is direct and expressive, making it the second most-spoken language in the world and highly popular among expatriates. Learning the names of various family members in Spanish is an important part of understanding the language. Each family member has its own unique Spanish term. These terms are spelled similarly to their English equivalent but are pronounced differently. Here is a guide to some of the most common family members in Spanish and how they are pronounced.
Parents in Spanish
The word for “father” in Spanish is padre; moms are called madre (which is pronounced “mah-dre”). Parents, or “padres” in Spanish, means both father and mother. Grandmother in Spanish is abuela, while the word for grandmother in native Spanish is nona. Grandfather is abuelo in Spanish.
Siblings in Spanish
The word for sister in Spanish is hermana, and the word for brother is hermano. These words are pronounced “air-mahn-ah” and “air-mahn-oh”, respectively. The word for siblings is hermanos. This is handy for situations where one might need to express that there are brothers and sisters without mentioning a specific gender.
In-laws in Spanish
In-laws, or “suegros” as they are known in Spanish, are the parents of a person’s spouse. For example, a man’s father-in-law is referred to as suegro, while a woman’s mother-in-law is called suegra.
Others in the Family in Spanish
In Spanish, the words for uncle and aunt are tio and tia, respectively. When speaking of family relations in Spanish, it is important to include everyone in the extended family. For example, the word for niece is sobrina in Spanish; the word for nephew is sobrino.
Conclusion
It is important to be able to understand and communicate with people in their native language. Knowing the terms for family members in Spanish will help expatriates in Spain or Latin American countries to navigate family events and situations. With a little practice, one can easily learn to pronounce and use the words for family members in Spanish.
