Family in English and Spanish: Vocabulary List
A comprehensive list of family members in Spanish and English. Learn all the family vocabulary terms in English. Download the complete list in PDF.
Table of contents
In today’s post, we are going to talk about the family (or la famiglia, as Don Vito Corleone would say). We may like our family more or less, but we still need to know the family vocabulary in English with Spanish translations. So, let’s get to it.
Immediate or nuclear family vocabulary
| SPANISH 🇪🇸 | ENGLISH 🇬🇧 |
| Padre | father |
| Papá | dad / daddy |
| Madre | mother |
| Mamá | mum / mummy |
| Padre o madre (sin especificar) | parent |
| Padres (padre y madre) | parents |
| Padre soltero | single father / single dad |
| Madre soltera | single mother / single mum |
| Hermano | brother |
| Hermana | sister |
| Hermano o hermana (sin especificar) | sibling |
| Mellizos | twins |
| Gemelos | identical twins |
| Hijo | son |
| Hija | daughter |
| Hijo o hija (sin especificar) | child (singular) |
| Hijos (hijos y/o hijas) | children (plural) |
| Hijo/hija único/a | only child |
| Marido (esposo) | husband |
| Mujer (esposa) | wife |
| Marido o mujer (sin especificar) | spouse |
| Novio | boyfriend |
| Novia | girlfriend |
| Pareja | partner |
| Una pareja | a couple |
Extended family vocabulary
| SPANISH 🇪🇸 | ENGLISH 🇬🇧 |
| Abuelo | grandfather |
| Abuelito | granddad, grandpa |
| Abuela | grandmother |
| Abuelita | nanna, grandma |
| Bisabuelo | great-grandfather |
| Bisabuela | great-grandmother |
| Tío | uncle |
| Tía | aunt |
| Tita | auntie |
| Primo o prima | cousin |
| Primo segundo | second cousin |
| Sobrino | nephew |
| Sobrina | niece |
| Nieto | grandson |
| Nieta | granddaughter |
| Nieto o nieta | grandchild (singular), grandchildren (plural) |
| Bisnieto | great-grandson |
| Bisnieta | great-granddaughter |
| Bisnieto o bisnieta | great-grandchild (singular), great-grandchildren (plural) |
| Pariente (de sangre) | (blood) relative |
| Miembro de la familia | family member |
Stepfamily
What we call «stepfamily» in English can have several translations in Spanish (e.g., familia política), but I think the best definition is a family that is formed when a divorced or widowed person remarries and which includes one or more children. That is, when at least one family member includes the suffix «-astro». This is how the Cambridge Dictionary defines it:
a family that is formed by two people and the child or children of one or both of them from a previous relationship.
In this case, once we know the vocabulary for the nuclear family in English, it is very easy, as we only have to add the prefix «step-» to each word. Let’s see:
| SPANISH 🇪🇸 | ENGLISH 🇬🇧 |
| Padrastro | stepfather / stepdad |
| Madrastra | stepmother / stepmum |
| Padrastros (padrastro y madrastra) | step-parents |
| Hermanastro (sin consanguinidad) | stepbrother |
| Hermanastro (con consanguinidad) | half-brother |
| Hermanastra (sin consanguinidad) | stepsister |
| Hermanastra (con consanguinidad) | half-sister |
| Hermanastros (hermanastro y hermanastra, sin consanguinidad) | step-siblings |
| Hermanastros (hermanastro y hermanastra, con consanguinidad) | half-siblings |
| Hijastro | stepson |
| Hijastra | stepdaughter |
| Hijastro o hijastra (sin especificar) | stepchild (singular), stepchildren (plural) |
Family-in-law
| SPANISH 🇪🇸 | ENGLISH 🇬🇧 |
| Suegro | father-in-law |
| Suegra | mother-in-law |
| Suegros (suegro + suegra) | parents-in-law |
| Los suegros (suegro y suegra) | the in-laws |
| Cuñado | brother-in-law |
| Cuñada | sister-in-law |
| Cuñados (cuñado + cuñada) | siblings-in-law |
| Yerno | son-in-law |
| Nuera | daughter-in-law |
More family vocabulary in English
In this section, we are going to look at some terms that refer to people close to the family but who are not necessarily direct relatives, and adjectives to define certain family members or close people.
| SPANISH 🇪🇸 | ENGLISH 🇬🇧 |
| Padrino | godfather |
| Madrina | godmother |
| Padrino de boda | best man |
| Primogénito | first-born |
| Prometidos (adj.) | engaged |
| Compromiso | engagement |
| Prometido | fiancé |
| Prometida | fiancée |
| Adoptado | adopted |
| Amigo o amiga de la familia | family friend / friend of the family |
| Amistad | friendship |
| Conocido | acquaintance |
| Antepasados | forefathers / ancestors |
| Descendientes | descendants |
| Huérfano | orphan |
| Hijo/a mayor | eldest/elder child |
| Hijo/a menor | youngest/younger child |
| Vida familiar | family life |
| Familia de acogida | foster family |
| Familia adoptiva | adoptive family |
| Generación | generation |
| Heredero | heir |
| Hijo ilegítimo | illegitimate child |
English family tree or genealogical tree
Below we can see a very comprehensive family tree. Look at the girl where it says «ME», as the rest of the relationships are defined with respect to her. As you can see, the in-laws are not included here, but the entire extended family is.
Now, using the same tree as above but this time with names, let’s look at some examples of relationships between the different members. I have divided the tree into generations to make it easier for us to see the relationships. Here we go:
First and second generation
Brenda is Melinda and George’s daughter.
Melinda and George are Brenda’s parents.
Kay is Brenda’s mother-in-law.
George is Rupert’s father-in-law.
Second and third generation
Joe, Bill and Esther are siblings. They are Brenda and Rupert’s children.
Rupert is Brenda’s husband.
Jeff is Brenda and Rupert’s son-in-law.
Mary is Brenda and Rupert’s daughter-in-law.
Bill is Jeff’s brother-in-law.
First and third generation
Joe, Bill and Esther are Melinda’s grandchildren.
Maurice is Esther’s granddad.
Bill is Maurice’s grandson.
First and fourth generation
Laura is George’s great-granddaughter.
Andy and Anna are Kay and Maurice’s great-grandchildren.
Kay is Andy’s great-grandmother.
George and Melinda are Angie’s great-grandparents.
Third and fourth generation
Bill is Jasmine’s uncle.
Jasmine is Bill’s niece.
Ray is Esther’s nephew.
Esther is Ray’s aunt.
Angie and Andy are cousins.
Fifth generation
Rachel is Mark’s sister.
Liam is Patrice’s brother.
Mark and Patrice are second cousins.
And finally, we have reached the end of this very comprehensive post on family in English and Spanish.
What did you think? Was it useful? Leave me a comment and tell me or ask me anything you like.
Until the next post, don’t forget to keep smiling!