A1 vocabulary guide
Spanish family members: talk about the people close to you
Family vocabulary is an easy route into real conversation: you can introduce someone, explain who lives nearby or ask about a family gathering. Spanish labels relationships precisely, so notice both the noun’s gender and whether a word changes when you mean a man or a woman.
Start with the pattern
Words are easier to keep when they make sense.
Many family nouns have a masculine and feminine form: el hermano / la hermana. The plural masculine form can refer to a mixed group, as in mis hermanos for brothers and sisters; specify both when useful. Nouns ending in -ista can describe either gender, with the article showing which person is meant: el/la familiarista is not a normal family term, but el/la artista illustrates the pattern.
Possessives such as mi, tu and su do not change for the gender of the person or thing possessed: mi madre, mi padre, mis primos. Use ser to identify someone and tener for relationships: Tengo dos hermanas. A family member’s age uses tener too: Mi abuelo tiene 82 años.
Hear it in a sentence
Examples in everyday Spanish
Mi hermana vive en Zaragoza con su pareja.
My sister lives in Zaragoza with her partner.
Este domingo comemos con mis abuelos.
This Sunday we’re having a meal with my grandparents.
¿Tienes hermanos o eres hijo único?
Do you have siblings or are you an only child?
Hermanos can mean brothers or siblings in a mixed group.
Mi primo trabaja con su tío en una librería.
My cousin works with his uncle in a bookshop.
Listen for the local detail
A note on Spanish in Spain
- Familia can mean the family collectively; relatives may be called familiares. The exact scope of family labels and forms of address varies between households.
- In Spain, pareja is a common gender-neutral way to refer to someone’s partner without specifying marital status.
Look out for
Common mistakes, made clearer
Avoid
Tengo 2 hermanas → Soy dos hermanas.
Use / understand
Tengo dos hermanas.
Spanish uses tener to say how many siblings someone has.
Avoid
Mi madre y mi padre son mis padre.
Use / understand
Mi madre y mi padre son mis padres.
Use the masculine plural for a mixed group, or name both roles.
Avoid
Mis madre.
Use / understand
Mi madre.
Possessives agree with the number of the possessed noun, not its gender.
Five quick checks
Try it before you peek.
- 01
Translate “my grandparents” (grandmother and grandfather).
Reveal answer and explanation
Mis abuelos.
The masculine plural can refer to a mixed group.
- 02
Complete: Tengo una ___ (sister).
Reveal answer and explanation
hermana.
Hermana is feminine singular.
- 03
What does la pareja mean?
Reveal answer and explanation
Partner or couple.
It is a feminine noun, but the partner’s gender is not specified by the word.
- 04
Translate “my cousins” (mixed group).
Reveal answer and explanation
Mis primos.
Primos is the masculine plural for a mixed group.
- 05
Ask a friend, “Do you have children?”
Reveal answer and explanation
¿Tienes hijos?
Hijos can mean sons or children of mixed gender.
Still wondering
Questions about spanish family members: talk about the people close to you
Does mis hermanos always mean brothers only?
Not necessarily. The masculine plural can refer to a mixed group of brothers and sisters. Use mis hermanos y hermanas if you want to be explicit.
Is pareja masculine or feminine?
The noun is feminine: la pareja. It can refer to a partner of any gender, or to a couple, depending on context.
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