Last Updated on June 15, 2026 by I Love Spanish Club
Talking about your family is one of the first conversations you’ll have when learning Spanish. Whether you’re introducing yourself, meeting new people, or chatting with locals, knowing family vocabulary is essential. In this guide you’ll learn all family members in Spanish with pronunciation tips, grammar explanations and real example sentences. ¡La familia es lo más importante!
👨👩👧👦 Listen & Repeat — Family Members in Spanish
Listen to the audio and repeat each word to practice your pronunciation:
<>📋 Family Members Vocabulary Table
| Spanish | English | Pronunciation |
|---|---|---|
| Madre | Mother | MAH-dreh |
| Padre | Father | PAH-dreh |
| Padres | Parents | PAH-dres |
| Hijo | Son | EE-hoh |
| Hija | Daughter | EE-hah |
| Hermano | Brother | er-MAH-noh |
| Hermana | Sister | er-MAH-nah |
| Hermanos (plural) | Siblings | er-MAH-nos |
| Abuela | Grandmother | ah-BWEH-lah |
| Abuelo | Grandfather | ah-BWEH-loh |
| Abuelos | Grandparents | ah-BWEH-los |
| Tío | Uncle | TEE-oh |
| Tía | Aunt | TEE-ah |
| Tíos (plural) | Aunts and uncles | TEE-os |
| Primo | Cousin (male) | PREE-moh |
| Prima | Cousin (female) | PREE-mah |
| Primos (plural) | Cousins | PREE-mos |
| Nieto | Grandson | NYEH-toh |
| Nieta | Granddaughter | NYEH-tah |
| Nietos (plural) | Grandchildren | NYEH-tos |
| Esposo | Husband | es-POH-soh |
| Esposa | Wife | es-POH-sah |
| Cónyuge | Spouse | KON-yoo-heh |
| Suegra | Mother-in-law | SWEH-grah |
| Suegro | Father-in-law | SWEH-groh |
| Yerno | Son-in-law | YER-noh |
| Nuera | Daughter-in-law | NWEH-rah |
| Cuñado | Brother-in-law | koo-NYAH-doh |
| Cuñada | Sister-in-law | koo-NYAH-dah |
| Sobrino | Nephew | soh-BREE-noh |
| Sobrina | Niece | soh-BREE-nah |
💡 Grammar tip: In Spanish, masculine plural forms are used for mixed groups. Padres means both “parents” (not just fathers), hermanos means “siblings” (brothers and sisters), and tíos means “aunts and uncles.” Context makes it clear!
👨👩👧 Parents & Grandparents in Spanish
The word for “father” is padre (pronounced “PAH-dreh”) and “mother” is madre (pronounced “MAH-dreh”). Together, padres means parents — both father and mother.
Grandmother is abuela and grandfather is abuelo. Together they are abuelos (grandparents). In some Latin American countries you’ll also hear the affectionate terms abuelita (grandma) and abuelito (grandpa).
| Mis padres viven en Colombia. | My parents live in Colombia. |
| Mi abuela hace la mejor comida del mundo. | My grandmother makes the best food in the world. |
| Voy a visitar a mis abuelos este verano. | I’m going to visit my grandparents this summer. |
👫 Siblings in Spanish
The word for “sister” is hermana and “brother” is hermano — pronounced “er-MAH-nah” and “er-MAH-noh.” The plural hermanos means siblings and covers both brothers and sisters.
| Tengo dos hermanos y una hermana. | I have two brothers and one sister. |
| Mi hermana mayor vive en Nueva York. | My older sister lives in New York. |
| Somos cinco hermanos en total. | There are five of us siblings in total. |
💍 In-Laws in Spanish
In Spanish, in-laws are called suegros. A man’s father-in-law is suegro and mother-in-law is suegra. Brother-in-law is cuñado and sister-in-law is cuñada.
| Mis suegros son muy amables. | My in-laws are very kind. |
| Mi cuñado trabaja en medicina. | My brother-in-law works in medicine. |
| La nuera de mi madre es colombiana. | My mother’s daughter-in-law is Colombian. |
🧒 Other Family Members
Don’t forget nephews and nieces — sobrino (nephew) and sobrina (niece). And cousins — primo (male cousin) and prima (female cousin).
| Tengo muchos primos en Medellín. | I have many cousins in Medellín. |
| Mi sobrino tiene tres años. | My nephew is three years old. |
| Soy el tío favorito de mis sobrinos. | I’m my nephews’ favorite uncle. |
🗣️ How to Talk About Your Family in Spanish
| ¿Tienes hermanos? | Do you have siblings? |
| Soy hijo único / hija única. | I’m an only child. |
| ¿Cómo se llama tu madre? | What is your mother’s name? |
| Mi familia es muy grande. | My family is very large. |
| Vivimos todos juntos. | We all live together. |
| Extraño mucho a mi familia. | I miss my family a lot. |
| La familia es lo más importante. | Family is the most important thing. |
Talking about your family is one of the warmest, most natural conversation topics in Spanish — and people genuinely love hearing about it. A native tutor on Italki will often ask about your family in your very first lesson, so having this vocabulary ready makes a great first impression.
🎯 Quick Practice Quiz
Translate these into Spanish:
- My parents live in Colombia.
- I have two brothers and one sister.
- My grandmother makes the best food.
- Do you have siblings?
- I miss my family a lot.
✅ Show Answers
- Mis padres viven en Colombia.
- Tengo dos hermanos y una hermana.
- Mi abuela hace la mejor comida.
- ¿Tienes hermanos?
- Extraño mucho a mi familia.
❓ Frequently Asked Questions
Why does “hermanos” mean both “brothers” and “siblings”?
In Spanish, the masculine plural form covers mixed-gender groups. So hermanos can mean “brothers” (all male) or “siblings” (mixed). If you specifically have all sisters, you’d say hermanas. Context usually makes the meaning clear.
What are “abuelita” and “abuelito”?
These are affectionate diminutives for grandmother and grandfather — like “grandma” and “grandpa” vs the more formal “grandmother/grandfather.” They’re extremely common and warm-sounding, used by people of all ages when talking about their grandparents.
How do I say “half-brother” or “step-sister” in Spanish?
Medio hermano / media hermana for half-siblings. For step-family: hermanastro/hermanastra (step-brother/sister), padrastro/madrastra (stepfather/stepmother), hijastro/hijastra (stepson/stepdaughter). Family vocabulary comes up constantly in telenovelas — watching one on LingoPie is actually a great (and dramatic!) way to hear all these terms in context.