German family vocabulary is a crucial step while studying the German language. Understanding family vocabulary in German helps you form sentences related to your family introduction.
Learning the common German family terms acts as a guide to take part in a daily conversation with German native speakers. So explore this practical German family vocabulary to build a strong vocabulary foundation.
How Do You Say ‘Family’ in German?
‘Familie’ is the German word for ‘family’ in English. It plays a crucial role in German culture. It helps in discussing the German family terms, leading to a conversation about relationships, traditions and daily life.
Example:
Familie ist sehr wichtig. (Family is very important.)
What are immediate family members in German?
The immediate family members are the only closest ones in your family. It is also called a nuclear family. This group includes your father, mother, siblings, spouse and children. The German words for them are
- Mother in German: Mutter
- Father in German: Vater
- Parents in German: Eltern
- Siblings in German: Geschwister
- Brother: Bruder
- Sister: Schwester
- Son: Sohn
- Daughter: Tochter
- Husband: Ehemann
- Wife: Ehefrau
Examples
- Das ist meine Mutter. (This is my mother.)
- Mein Vater arbeitet in Berlin. (My father works in Berlin.)
- Ich habe zwei Geschwister. (I have two siblings.)
- Mein Bruder spielt Fußball. (My brother plays football.)
- Meine Tochter ist fünf Jahre alt. (My daughter is five years old.)
German Immediate Family Vocabulary
| German | English | Pronunciation | Gender | Plural | Example Sentence |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Familie | Family | fah-MEE-lee-eh | Feminine | Familien | Meine Familie ist klein. (My family is small.) |
| Mutter | Mother | MOO-ter | Feminine | Mütter | Das ist meine Mutter. |
| Vater | Father | FAH-ter | Masculine | Väter | Mein Vater kocht gut. |
| Eltern | Parents | EL-tern | Plural | — | Meine Eltern wohnen in München. |
| Geschwister | Siblings | geh-SHVIS-ter | Plural | — | Ich habe drei Geschwister. |
| Bruder | Brother | BROO-der | Masculine | Brüder | Mein Bruder studiert. |
| Schwester | Sister | SHVES-ter | Feminine | Schwestern | Meine Schwester ist Ärztin. |
| Sohn | Son | Zone | Masculine | Söhne | Ihr Sohn ist freundlich. |
| Tochter | Daughter | TOKH-ter | Feminine | Töchter | Unsere Tochter singt gern. |
| Kind | Child | Kint | Neuter | Kinder | Das Kind spielt im Park. |
| Ehemann | Husband | AY-eh-man | Masculine | Ehemänner | Ihr Ehemann ist Lehrer. |
| Ehefrau | Wife | AY-eh-frow | Feminine | Ehefrauen | Seine Ehefrau arbeitet im Krankenhaus. |
What Are Extended Family Members in German?
The extended family members are those who are related and outside your nuclear family, like grandparents, aunts, uncles, cousins, nieces, nephews, and grandchildren.
German Extended Family Vocabulary
| German | English | Pronunciation | Gender | Plural | Example Sentence |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Großeltern | Grandparents | GROHS-el-tern | Plural | — | Meine Großeltern wohnen in Köln. |
| Großmutter | Grandmother | GROHS-moot-ter | Feminine | Großmütter | Meine Großmutter backt Kuchen. |
| Oma | Grandma | OH-ma | Feminine | Omas | Meine Oma ist sehr freundlich. |
| Großvater | Grandfather | GROHS-fah-ter | Masculine | Großväter | Mein Großvater liest gern. |
| Opa | Grandpa | OH-pa | Masculine | Opas | Mein Opa fährt Fahrrad. |
| Tante | Aunt | TAN-teh | Feminine | Tanten | Meine Tante arbeitet als Lehrerin. |
| Onkel | Uncle | ON-kel | Masculine | Onkel | Mein Onkel spielt Tennis. |
| Cousin | Male Cousin | koo-ZAN | Masculine | Cousins | Mein Cousin studiert Informatik. |
| Cousine | Female Cousin | koo-ZEE-neh | Feminine | Cousinen | Meine Cousine lebt in Berlin. |
| Neffe | Nephew | NEF-feh | Masculine | Neffen | Mein Neffe mag Fußball. |
| Nichte | Niece | NIKH-teh | Feminine | Nichten | Meine Nichte malt gern. |
| Enkel | Grandson | EN-kel | Masculine | Enkel | Mein Enkel besucht mich oft. |
| Enkelin | Granddaughter | EN-keh-lin | Feminine | Enkelinnen | Meine Enkelin spielt Klavier |
Family Members by Marriage in German
Family members by marriage are relatives who become part of your family through marriage rather than by birth. For example, your mother-in-law in German is Schwiegermutter, and your father-in-law is Schwiegervater.
Here are a few vocabulary words for family members by marriage in German.
Examples
- Meine Schwiegermutter ist sehr freundlich. (My mother-in-law is very friendly.)
- Mein Schwiegervater kocht gern. (My father-in-law enjoys cooking.)
- Mein Schwager wohnt in Berlin. (My brother-in-law lives in Berlin.)
- Meine Schwägerin spricht Deutsch. (My sister-in-law speaks German.)
- Sein Stiefvater arbeitet als Arzt. (His stepfather works as a doctor.)
- Ihre Stiefschwester besucht uns heute. (Her stepsister is visiting us today.)
German Marriage Family Members Vocabulary
| English | German | Pronunciation | Example Sentence |
|---|---|---|---|
| Mother-in-law | Schwiegermutter | SHVEE-ger-moot-ter | Meine Schwiegermutter ist nett. (My mother-in-law is nice.) |
| Father-in-law | Schwiegervater | SHVEE-ger-fah-ter | Mein Schwiegervater liest gern. (My father-in-law enjoys reading.) |
| Parents-in-law | Schwiegereltern | SHVEE-ger-el-tern | Meine Schwiegereltern wohnen in Hamburg. (My parents-in-law live in Hamburg.) |
| Brother-in-law | Schwager | SHVAH-ger | Mein Schwager spielt Fußball. (My brother-in-law plays football.) |
| Sister-in-law | Schwägerin | SHVEH-ger-in | Meine Schwägerin arbeitet im Büro. (My sister-in-law works in an office.) |
| Son-in-law | Schwiegersohn | SHVEE-ger-zone | Unser Schwiegersohn ist Ingenieur. (Our son-in-law is an engineer.) |
| Daughter-in-law | Schwiegertochter | SHVEE-ger-tokh-ter | Meine Schwiegertochter ist Lehrerin. (My daughter-in-law is a teacher.) |
| Stepfather | Stiefvater | SHTEEF-fah-ter | Mein Stiefvater ist sehr hilfsbereit. (My stepfather is very helpful.) |
| Stepmother | Stiefmutter | SHTEEF-moot-ter | Meine Stiefmutter liebt Musik. (My stepmother loves music.) |
| Stepbrother | Stiefbruder | SHTEEF-broo-der | Ich habe einen Stiefbruder. (I have a stepbrother.) |
| Stepsister | Stiefschwester | SHTEEF-shves-ter | Meine Stiefschwester studiert Medizin. (My stepsister studies medicine.) |
Other Family-Related Terms in German
Germans have specific vocabulary for describing their family relationship and family structure. Here are those family-related words that you can use.
Common Family Structure Terms
- Adopted child – Adoptivkind
- Adoptive parents – Adoptiveltern
- Foster child – Pflegekind
- Foster parents – Pflegeeltern
- Blended family – Patchworkfamilie
- Single parent – Alleinerziehende Mutter / Alleinerziehender Vater
- Guardian – Vormund
Everyday Examples
- Sie haben ein Adoptivkind. (They have an adopted child.)
- Das Pflegekind lebt seit einem Jahr bei ihnen. (The foster child has lived with them for one year.)
- Wir sind eine Patchworkfamilie. (We are a blended family.)
- Seine Adoptiveltern wohnen in München. (His adoptive parents live in Munich.)
- Die Pflegeeltern kümmern sich gut um das Kind. (The foster parents take good care of the child.)
- Der Vormund unterstützt das Kind. (The guardian supports the child.)
Family Structure Vocabulary
| English | German | Example Usage |
|---|---|---|
| Adopted child | Adoptivkind | Das Adoptivkind ist glücklich. (The adopted child is happy.) |
| Adoptive parents | Adoptiveltern | Die Adoptiveltern sind sehr liebevoll. (The adoptive parents are very caring.) |
| Foster child | Pflegekind | Das Pflegekind geht zur Schule. (The foster child goes to school.) |
| Foster parents | Pflegeeltern | Die Pflegeeltern helfen dem Kind. (The foster parents help the child.) |
| Blended family | Patchworkfamilie | Sie leben in einer Patchworkfamilie. (They live in a blended family.) |
| Single mother | Alleinerziehende Mutter | Sie ist eine alleinerziehende Mutter. (She is a single mother.) |
Further German Family Vocabulary
Here are a few vocabulary words that a beginner must know.
Relatives
- Verwandte (relatives)
- Angehörige (family members/next of kin)
- Verwandtschaft (kinship/relationship by blood)
Ancestry and Family History
- Vorfahren (ancestors)
- Nachkommen (descendants)
- Stammbaum (family tree)
Generations
- Generation (generation)
- Urgroßeltern (great-grandparents)
- Urenkel (great-grandchild)
Family Relationships
- Verlobter / Verlobte (fiancé / fiancée)
- Zwillinge (twins)
- Pate / Patin (godfather / godmother)
Advanced German Family Vocabulary
| Category | English | German | Example Usage |
|---|---|---|---|
| Relatives | Relatives | Verwandte | Meine Verwandten kommen morgen. (My relatives are coming tomorrow.) |
| Relatives | Family members / next of kin | Angehörige | Die Angehörigen warten im Krankenhaus. (The family members are waiting at the hospital.) |
| Relatives | Kinship | Verwandtschaft | Unsere Verwandtschaft ist groß. (Our extended family is large.) |
| Ancestry | Ancestors | Vorfahren | Seine Vorfahren lebten in Bayern. (His ancestors lived in Bavaria.) |
| Ancestry | Descendants | Nachkommen | Ihre Nachkommen wohnen in Österreich. (Her descendants live in Austria.) |
| Ancestry | Family tree | Stammbaum | Unser Stammbaum ist sehr interessant. (Our family tree is very interesting.) |
| Generations | Generation | Generation | Vier Generationen feiern zusammen. (Four generations are celebrating together.) |
| Generations | Great-grandparents | Urgroßeltern | Meine Urgroßeltern waren Bauern. (My great-grandparents were farmers.) |
| Generations | Great-grandchild | Urenkel | Der Urenkel besucht seine Familie. (The great-grandchild is visiting the family.) |
| Relationships | Fiancé | Verlobter | Ihr Verlobter arbeitet in Berlin. (Her fiancé works in Berlin.) |
| Relationships | Fiancée | Verlobte | Seine Verlobte lernt Deutsch. (His fiancée is learning German.) |
| Relationships | Twins | Zwillinge | Die Zwillinge gehen zur Schule. (The twins go to school.) |
| Relationships | Godfather | Pate | Mein Pate wohnt in Köln. (My godfather lives in Cologne.) |
| Relationships | Godmother | Patin | Meine Patin besucht uns jedes Jahr. (My godmother visits us every year.) |
How To Talk About Family in Day-to-Day Situations
Family conversation is a part of your everyday life. Family conversations usually start with an introduction to your family members, how many relatives you have, and your relationship with them. You can go through these examples and use them in your conversation.
Everyday Speaking Examples
- Das ist meine Familie. – This is my family.
- Ich habe eine große Familie. – I have a big family.
- Ich habe einen Bruder und eine Schwester. – I have one brother and one sister.
- Meine Eltern wohnen in Berlin. – My parents live in Berlin.
- Meine Mutter ist Lehrerin. – My mother is a teacher.
- Mein Vater arbeitet in einem Büro. – My father works in an office.
- Ich liebe meine Familie sehr. – I love my family very much.
Common Conversation: Family Talk in German
There are common or everyday German conversations that happen in German families. This is related to knowing how your day is going or when some new friend comes to your home. It is better to learn a few common family conversation topics to be ready whenever there is a need.
- Das ist meine Familie. – This is my family.
- Ich habe zwei Geschwister. – I have two siblings.
- Wie viele Geschwister hast du? – How many siblings do you have?
- Hast du Kinder? – Do you have children?
- Meine Eltern leben in Deutschland. – My parents live in Germany.
- Ich bin ein Einzelkind. – I am an only child.
- Wir besuchen unsere Großeltern oft. – We often visit our grandparents.
- Meine Familie ist sehr groß. – My family is very big.
- Wir feiern gemeinsam. – We celebrate together.
Conclusion
To be a part of regular family conversation, there must be an understanding of German family vocabulary. From ‘nuclear’ to ‘immediate’ to ‘in-laws’, related words help you to take part in everyday talks. For beginner-friendly German language courses like GOETHE A1 and their lessons, visit La Forêt Education and be a part of regular German language learning conversations.
