Spanish for Family and Relationships: Complete Guide

Key takeaways:

• Spanish for family goes beyond basic vocabulary. You’ll learn how to introduce relatives, describe personalities, and discuss family dynamics naturally.
• Family structures in Spanish-speaking cultures often include extended family members in daily conversations, making these phrases important for real connections.
• Cultural context matters. Spanish speakers use different terms based on formality, region, and relationship closeness.
• Practice with native speakers speeds up your learning and helps you use these phrases in authentic conversations.

Learning Spanish for family conversations helps you build deeper connections with Spanish speakers around the world. You might be meeting your partner’s relatives for the first time, chatting with new friends about your siblings, or simply wanting to share stories about your loved ones. Knowing how to talk about family in Spanish matters a lot.

La familia holds a central place in Spanish-speaking cultures. Conversations often start with questions about relatives, and social gatherings regularly involve multiple generations. This guide gives you practical Spanish phrases, cultural insights, and conversation strategies to discuss family and relationships confidently.

Ready to start speaking naturally? Connect with experienced Spanish tutors who can help you practice these phrases in real conversations and build your Spanish skills.

The Spanish family tree

Understanding how the Spanish language organizes family relationships helps you handle conversations more easily. The family tree is similar to English with a few key differences.

Immediate family (familia inmediata) includes los padres (parents), los hermanos (siblings), and los hijos (children). This is your main family unit, also called the nuclear family, and the people you’ll reference most often in daily conversations. When talking about immediate and extended family, you’ll notice that Spanish speakers often mention both groups together.

Extended family (familia extendida) includes aunts, uncles, cousins, grandparents, and other relatives beyond your immediate household. Los parientes (relatives) come up all the time in everyday life. You’ll frequently hear about la tía (aunt), el tío (uncle), los abuelos (grandparents), el abuelo (grandfather), la abuela (grandmother), and los nietos (grandchildren). Even los parientes lejanos (distant relatives) come up in conversation more often than in English-speaking cultures.

Ancestral relationships follow clear generational patterns. Your grandparents (los abuelos) represent the second generation up from you. Their parents would be your “bisabuelos” (great-grandparents), and going further back, you have “tatarabuelos” (great-great-grandparents). Moving down the family tree, your children are “los hijos,” your grandchildren are “los nietos” (el nieto for grandson, la nieta for granddaughter), and your great-grandchildren are “bisnietos.” These generational terms help Spanish speakers trace lineage and maintain family history across multiple generations.

Sibling relationships have specific terms based on birth order and gender. El hermano mayor refers to the older brother or elder brother, while “hermano menor” means younger brother. The same applies to sisters: “hermana mayor” (older sister) and “hermana menor” (younger sister). When you’re the middle child, you say “soy el hijo de en medio.” If you have two brothers, you might say “tengo dos hermanos,” and if you have a mix, “tengo hermanos y una hermana” (I have brothers and a sister). For twins, use “tengo un hermano gemelo” (I have a twin brother) or “tengo una hermana gemela” (I have a twin sister).

In-laws get their own specific terms. Your mother in law is “suegra,” your father in law is “suegro,” brother in law is “cuñado,” and sister in law is “cuñada.” The suffix “-político/a” also indicates in-law relationships for other family members. Understanding these in-laws terms helps you talk about su familia (their family) when discussing someone else’s family.

Step-family members have their own specific terms in Spanish. A stepfather is “padrastro” and a stepmother is “madrastra.” For step-siblings, use “hermanastro” (stepbrother) or “hermanastra” (stepsister). The ending “-astro/-astra” is what signals a step-relationship in these words.

Cousin generations have distinct names. Your first cousins are “primos,” while your parents’ cousins are “primos segundos” (second cousins).

The family tree also includes special terms for godparents (“padrinos”) and godchildren (“ahijados”), reflecting the cultural importance of these relationships in Spanish speaking countries.

Essential Spanish vocabulary for family

When building your Spanish vocabulary for family, you’ll notice that Spanish uses masculine nouns and feminine forms. Understanding possessive adjectives like “mi” (my), “tu” (your), and “su” (his/her/their) helps you describe family members in Spanish accurately. Spanish defaults to masculine plural forms when referring to mixed-gender groups, so “los hermanos” can mean “brothers” or “siblings.”

Family vocabulary is a great starting point. From there, learning basic Spanish words helps you build a stronger foundation for everyday conversations.

Introducing your family

When you meet someone new or describe mi familia, these phrases help you share information naturally. A native Spanish speaker would use these expressions in everyday conversations.

Spanish	Pronunciation	English
Te presento a mi familia	teh preh-SEN-toh ah mee fah-MEE-lee-ah	Let me introduce you to my family
Esta es mi madre (la madre)	EH-stah ehs mee MAH-dreh	This is my mother
Él es mi hermano mayor	ehl ehs mee ehr-MAH-noh mah-YOHR	He is my older brother (elder brother)
Tengo dos hermanos	TEN-goh dohs ehr-MAH-nohs	I have two brothers
Tengo tres hermanos	TEN-goh trehs ehr-MAH-nohs	I have three siblings
Soy hijo único	soy EE-hoh OO-nee-koh	I’m an only child
Vivo con mis padres	VEE-voh kohn mees PAH-drehs	I live with my parents
Mi familia es grande	mee fah-MEE-lee-ah ehs GRAHN-deh	My family is big (big family)
Somos una familia pequeña	SOH-mohs OO-nah fah-MEE-lee-ah peh-KEN-yah	We’re a small family
Tengo muchos primos	TEN-goh MOO-chohs PREE-mohs	I have many cousins
Tengo un hermano gemelo	TEN-goh oon ehr-MAH-noh heh-MEH-loh	I have a twin brother
Soy el hijo de en medio	soy ehl EE-hoh deh en MEH-dee-oh	I’m the middle child

Describing family members

These Spanish phrases let you paint a picture of your relatives’ personalities, appearances, and lives. You’ll use these expressions when talking about tu familia (your family) or nuestra familia (our family). Beyond these basic descriptions, learning Spanish adjectives allows you to capture the unique qualities that make each family member special.

Spanish	Pronunciation	English
Mi padre (el padre) es muy trabajador	mee PAH-dreh ehs moo-ee trah-bah-hah-DOHR	My father is very hardworking
Mi hermana (la hermana) es abogada	mee ehr-MAH-nah ehs ah-boh-GAH-dah	My sister is a lawyer
Mi abuelo tiene el pelo blanco	mee ah-BWEH-loh tee-EH-neh ehl PEH-loh BLAHN-koh	My grandfather has white hair
Mi madre es muy cariñosa	mee MAH-dreh ehs moo-ee kah-ree-NYOH-sah	My mother is very affectionate
El hermano es alto y delgado	ehl ehr-MAH-noh ehs AHL-toh ee dehl-GAH-doh	The brother is tall and thin
Mi tía es muy divertida	mee TEE-ah ehs moo-ee dee-vehr-TEE-dah	My aunt is very fun
Mi tía tuvo trillizos	mee TEE-ah TOO-voh tree-YEE-sohs	My aunt had triplets
Mi primo estudia medicina	mee PREE-moh eh-STOO-dee-ah meh-dee-SEE-nah	My cousin studies medicine
Mi abuela es muy sabia	mee ah-BWEH-lah ehs moo-ee SAH-bee-ah	My grandmother is very wise
Mi sobrina tiene tres años	mee soh-BREE-nah tee-EH-neh trehs AHN-yohs	My niece is three years old
Mi tío trabaja en un banco	mee TEE-oh trah-BAH-hah en oon BAHN-koh	My uncle works at a bank
Mi cuñado es muy amable	mee koo-NYAH-doh ehs moo-ee ah-MAH-bleh	My brother-in-law is very kind
Se parece mucho a su padre	seh pah-REH-seh MOO-choh ah soo PAH-dreh	He/she looks a lot like his/her father
Tiene los ojos verdes	tee-EH-neh lohs OH-hohs VEHR-dehs	He/she has green eyes
Es muy inteligente	ehs moo-ee een-teh-lee-HEN-teh	He/she is very intelligent
Mi hermana menor es estudiante	mee ehr-MAH-nah meh-NOHR ehs eh-stoo-dee-AHN-teh	My younger sister is a student
El nieto juega fútbol	ehl nee-EH-toh HWEH-gah FOOT-bohl	The grandson plays soccer
La mamá cocina muy bien	lah mah-MAH koh-SEE-nah moo-ee bee-EHN	Mom cooks very well
El papá lee el periódico	ehl pah-PAH leh-eh ehl peh-ree-OH-dee-koh	Dad reads the newspaper
El hijo estudia en la universidad	ehl EE-hoh eh-STOO-dee-ah en lah oo-nee-vehr-see-DAHD	The son studies at university

Talking about family dynamics

Express how family members relate to each other and interact in daily life. These phrases help you describe relationships within la familia.

Spanish	Pronunciation	English
Me llevo bien con mis hermanos	meh YEH-voh bee-EHN kohn mees ehr-MAH-nohs	I get along well with my siblings
Mis padres están divorciados	mees PAH-drehs eh-STAHN dee-vohr-see-AH-dohs	My parents are divorced
Somos muy unidos	SOH-mohs moo-ee oo-NEE-dohs	We’re very close
Mi hermano y yo peleamos mucho	mee ehr-MAH-noh ee yoh peh-leh-AH-mohs MOO-choh	My brother and I fight a lot
Cuido a mis hermanos menores	kwee-DOH ah mees ehr-MAH-nohs meh-NOH-rehs	I take care of my younger siblings (younger brother)
Mis abuelos nos visitan seguido	mees ah-BWEH-lohs nohs vee-SEE-tahn seh-GEE-doh	My grandparents visit us often
Hablamos por teléfono todos los días	ah-BLAH-mohs pohr teh-LEH-foh-noh TOH-dohs lohs DEE-ahs	We talk on the phone every day
Mi familia me apoya mucho	mee fah-MEE-lee-ah meh ah-POH-yah MOO-choh	My family supports me a lot
Celebramos juntos las fiestas	seh-leh-BRAH-mohs HOON-tohs lahs fee-EH-stahs	We celebrate holidays together
Extraño mucho a mi familia	ehks-TRAH-nyoh MOO-choh ah mee fah-MEE-lee-ah	I miss my family a lot
Tengo hermanos y una hermana	TEN-goh ehr-MAH-nohs ee OO-nah ehr-MAH-nah	I have brothers and a sister (una hermana)
Toda la familia se reúne	TOH-dah lah fah-MEE-lee-ah seh reh-OO-neh	The whole family gets together

Common questions people ask about family

Learn how to start conversations and respond naturally when people ask about your relatives. These questions help you practice your family vocabulary.

Spanish	Pronunciation	English
¿Tienes hermanos?	tee-EH-nehs ehr-MAH-nohs	Do you have siblings?
¿A qué se dedican tus padres?	ah keh seh deh-DEE-kahn toos PAH-drehs	What do your parents do?
¿Dónde vive tu familia?	DOHN-deh VEE-veh too fah-MEE-lee-ah	Where does your family live?
¿Cuántos años tiene tu hermano?	KWAHN-tohs AHN-yohs tee-EH-neh too ehr-MAH-noh	How old is your brother?
¿Ves a tu familia seguido?	vehs ah too fah-MEE-lee-ah seh-GEE-doh	Do you see your family often?
¿Cómo se llama tu mamá?	KOH-moh seh YAH-mah too mah-MAH	What’s your mom’s name?
¿Tus abuelos viven todavía?	toos ah-BWEH-lohs VEE-ven toh-dah-VEE-ah	Are your grandparents still alive?
¿De dónde es tu familia?	deh DOHN-deh ehs too fah-MEE-lee-ah	Where is your family from?
¿Cómo está tu familia?	KOH-moh eh-STAH too fah-MEE-lee-ah	How is your family?
Están muy bien, ¿qué tal los tuyos?	eh-STAHN moo-ee bee-EHN keh tahl lohs TOO-yohs	They’re very well, how about yours?

Talking about family events and gatherings

Describe celebrations, visits, and special occasions with your relatives. These phrases help you talk about time spent with la familia.

Spanish	Pronunciation	English
Vamos a reunirnos este fin de semana	VAH-mohs ah reh-oo-NEER-nohs EH-steh feen deh seh-MAH-nah	We’re getting together this weekend
Celebramos el cumpleaños de mi abuela	seh-leh-BRAH-mohs ehl koom-pleh-AHN-yohs deh mee ah-BWEH-lah	We’re celebrating my grandmother’s birthday
Toda la familia viene a cenar	TOH-dah lah fah-MEE-lee-ah vee-EH-neh ah seh-NAHR	The whole family is coming to dinner
Mis primos llegaron de visita	mees PREE-mohs yeh-GAH-rohn deh vee-SEE-tah	My cousins came to visit
Pasamos las vacaciones juntos	pah-SAH-mohs lahs vah-kah-see-OH-nehs HOON-tohs	We spend vacations together
Voy a la boda de mi hermana	voy ah lah BOH-dah deh mee ehr-MAH-nah	I’m going to my sister’s wedding
Hacemos una cena familiar cada mes	ah-SEH-mohs OO-nah SEH-nah fah-mee-lee-AHR KAH-dah mehs	We have a family dinner every month
Mi familia organizó una sorpresa	mee fah-MEE-lee-ah ohr-gah-nee-SOH OO-nah sohr-PREH-sah	My family organized a surprise
Festejamos la Navidad en casa de mis padres	feh-steh-HAH-mohs lah nah-vee-DAHD en KAH-sah deh mees PAH-drehs	We celebrate Christmas at my parents’ house
Mis tíos vienen a visitarnos mañana	mees TEE-ohs vee-EH-nen ah vee-see-TAHR-nohs mah-NYAH-nah	My aunt and uncle are coming to visit us tomorrow
Fuimos a la graduación de mi primo	FWEE-mohs ah lah grah-dwah-see-OHN deh mee PREE-moh	We went to my cousin’s graduation
Compartimos una comida especial	kohm-pahr-TEE-mohs OO-nah koh-MEE-dah eh-speh-see-AHL	We shared a special meal
Los nietos visitan a sus abuelos	lohs nee-EH-tohs vee-SEE-tahn ah soos ah-BWEH-lohs	The grandchildren visit their grandparents

Spanish vocabulary for romantic relationships

Dating and relationships

Dating phrases:

When you’re ready to express romantic interest, these phrases help you get by in the dating world in Spanish. 

Spanish	Pronunciation	English
¿Te gustaría salir conmigo?	teh goo-stah-REE-ah sah-LEER kohn-MEE-goh	Would you like to go out with me?
Me gustas mucho	meh GOO-stahs MOO-choh	I like you a lot
¿Quieres ser mi novia/novio?	kee-EH-rehs sehr mee NOH-vee-ah/NOH-vee-oh	Do you want to be my girlfriend/boyfriend?
Estoy saliendo con alguien	eh-STOY sah-lee-EHN-doh kohn AHL-gee-en	I’m dating someone
Tuvimos una cita anoche	too-VEE-mohs OO-nah SEE-tah ah-NOH-cheh	We had a date last night
Me encanta pasar tiempo contigo	meh en-KAHN-tah pah-SAHR tee-EHM-poh kohn-TEE-goh	I love spending time with you
¿Puedo invitarte a cenar?	PWEH-doh een-vee-TAHR-teh ah seh-NAHR	Can I invite you to dinner?
Tienes una sonrisa hermosa	tee-EH-nehs OO-nah sohn-REE-sah ehr-MOH-sah	You have a beautiful smile

In-a-relationship phrases:

Spanish	Pronunciation	English
Te quiero mucho	teh kee-EH-roh MOO-choh	I love you very much
Mi novio/novia es muy especial	mee NOH-vee-oh/NOH-vee-ah ehs moo-ee eh-speh-see-AHL	My boyfriend/girlfriend is very special
Llevamos dos años juntos	yeh-VAH-mohs dohs AHN-yohs HOON-tohs	We’ve been together for two years
Es el amor de mi vida	ehs ehl ah-MOHR deh mee VEE-dah	He/she is the love of my life
Vivimos juntos	vee-VEE-mohs HOON-tohs	We live together
Mi pareja me hace muy feliz	mee pah-REH-hah meh AH-seh moo-ee feh-LEES	My partner makes me very happy
Estamos muy enamorados	eh-STAH-mohs moo-ee eh-nah-moh-RAH-dohs	We’re very much in love
Celebramos nuestro aniversario	seh-leh-BRAH-mohs nweh-stroh ah-nee-vehr-SAH-ree-oh	We’re celebrating our anniversary

Breakup phrases:

Spanish	Pronunciation	English
Creo que debemos terminar	KREH-oh keh deh-BEH-mohs tehr-mee-NAHR	I think we should break up
Ya no somos compatibles	yah noh SOH-mohs kohm-pah-TEE-blehs	We’re not compatible anymore
Necesito espacio	neh-seh-SEE-toh eh-SPAH-see-oh	I need space
Terminamos la semana pasada	tehr-mee-NAH-mohs lah seh-MAH-nah pah-SAH-dah	We broke up last week
Seguimos siendo amigos	seh-GEE-mohs see-EHN-doh ah-MEE-gohs	We’re still friends

Marriage and commitment

These phrases help you discuss engagements, weddings, and long-term partnerships.

Spanish	Pronunciation	English
Me propuso matrimonio	meh proh-POO-soh mah-tree-MOH-nee-oh	He/she proposed to me
Nos vamos a casar	nohs VAH-mohs ah kah-SAHR	We’re getting married
Mi prometido/prometida	mee proh-meh-TEE-doh/proh-meh-TEE-dah	My fiancé/fiancée
Estamos planeando la boda	eh-STAH-mohs plah-neh-AHN-doh lah BOH-dah	We’re planning the wedding
Mi esposo/esposa	mee eh-SPOH-soh/eh-SPOH-sah	My husband/wife
Nos casamos hace cinco años	nohs kah-SAH-mohs AH-seh SEEN-koh AHN-yohs	We got married five years ago
Es mi media naranja	ehs mee MEH-dee-ah nah-RAHN-hah	He/she is my soulmate
Vamos a celebrar bodas de plata	VAH-mohs ah seh-leh-BRAHR BOH-dahs deh PLAH-tah	We’re celebrating our silver anniversary
Mi marido/mujer	mee mah-REE-doh/moo-HEHR	My husband/wife
Intercambiamos votos	een-tehr-kahm-bee-AH-mohs VOH-tohs	We exchanged vows
La ceremonia fue hermosa	lah seh-reh-MOH-nee-ah fweh ehr-MOH-sah	The ceremony was beautiful
Nuestra luna de miel	nweh-strah LOO-nah deh mee-EHL	Our honeymoon

For official documents or formal contexts, the gender-neutral term ‘cónyuge’ (spouse) is used instead of esposo or esposa.

Family connections in romantic contexts

In-laws and step-family terms:

In-laws vocabulary becomes important when you’re introducing your partner to family members or talking about someone else’s family. A Spanish speaker would use these terms regularly when discussing merged families.

Spanish	Pronunciation	English
Voy a conocer a mis suegros	voy ah koh-noh-SEHR ah mees SWEH-grohs	I’m going to meet my in-laws
Mi suegra es muy amable	mee SWEH-grah ehs moo-ee ah-MAH-bleh	My mother-in-law is very kind
Me llevo bien con mi cuñada	meh YEH-voh bee-EHN kohn mee koo-NYAH-dah	I get along well with my sister-in-law
Mi yerno trabaja en tecnología	mee YEHR-noh trah-BAH-hah en tek-noh-loh-HEE-ah	My son-in-law works in technology
Mi nuera es profesora	mee NWEH-rah ehs proh-feh-SOH-rah	My daughter-in-law is a teacher
Presenté a mi novio/novia a mis padres	preh-sen-TEH ah mee NOH-vee-oh/NOH-vee-ah ah mees PAH-drehs	I introduced my boyfriend/girlfriend to my parents
Y mi suegro es ingeniero	ee mee SWEH-groh ehs een-heh-nee-EH-roh	And my father-in-law is an engineer

Friendship and social networks

These phrases describe close relationships beyond romantic and family ties. In Spanish, friendships often form through simple, casual exchanges. The phrases below give you a solid starting point for building those connections.

Spanish	Pronunciation	English
Mi mejor amigo/amiga	mee meh-HOHR ah-MEE-goh/ah-MEE-gah	My best friend
Somos amigos cercanos	SOH-mohs ah-MEE-gohs sehr-KAH-nohs	We’re close friends
Mi amiga de la infancia	mee ah-MEE-gah deh lah een-FAHN-see-ah	My childhood friend
Es como un hermano para mí	ehs KOH-moh oon ehr-MAH-noh PAH-rah mee	He’s like a brother to me
Mi compañero de trabajo	mee kohm-pah-NYEH-roh deh trah-BAH-hoh	My coworker
Mi padrino/madrina	mee pah-DREE-noh/mah-DREE-nah	My godfather/godmother
Somos uña y carne	SOH-mohs OO-nyah ee KAHR-neh	We’re inseparable
Mi mentor	mee men-TOHR	My mentor

Related readings:

• French for Family and Relationships: A Practical Guide
• Japanese for Family and Relationships: The Ultimate Guide

The phrases in this guide give you a strong foundation for the most important Spanish for family conversations you’ll have. Real fluency comes from practicing these expressions in natural conversations where you can adapt them to your own life and experiences. Working with a native Spanish speaker helps you develop a deeper appreciation for the cultural nuances and gain confidence in everyday situations.

When you learn Spanish online with italki, you get one-on-one lessons tailored to your goals, this could be meeting your partner’s family, making friends in a Spanish-speaking country, or simply becoming more confident in everyday conversations.

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FAQ

What is Spanish for family?

The Spanish word for family is “familia” (pronounced fah-MEE-lee-ah). When talking about your family, you say “mi familia” (my family). When asking about someone else’s family, you would say “tu familia” (your family).

What do Spanish people call their family?

Spanish speakers commonly use terms including “mamá” or “madre” (la madre) for mother, “papá” or “padre” (el padre) for father, “hermano/hermana” (el hermano or la hermana) for brother/sister, and “abuelo/abuela” for grandfather/grandmother. The terms vary slightly by region.

How do Mexicans say family?

Mexicans say “familia” just like other Spanish speakers. However, they often use affectionate diminutives and nicknames within families. For example, “mamá” might become “mami,” and “papá” becomes “papi.” 

Is it mi familia or la familia?

Both are correct but used in different contexts. Use “mi familia” (my family) when talking about your own relatives: “Mi familia es grande” (My family is big). Use “la familia” (the family) when speaking generally about family as a concept or when referring to a specific family in conversation: “La familia es importante” (Family is important). 

Do you use te quiero for family?

Yes, “te quiero” is commonly used to express love for family members in Spanish. While “te amo” expresses deeper romantic love, “te quiero” works well for family, close friends, and romantic partners.