Family Members In German [38 Words You Need To Know]
Talking about your family, however large or small, is a common topic of conversation. Whether you’re getting to know someone or introducing a new partner to your parents, it’s essential to know the names of family members in German.
Not only do you need to know all the names for family members in German, but also how to talk about your family. In this post you will hear example sentences of typical conversations about family.
After reading this post you will know:
- Names for family members in German
- How to talk about your family with example sentences
- The best ways to talk about relationships in German
Parents & Children
die Familie | the family |
die Eltern | the parents |
der Vater | the father |
die Mutter | the mother |
der Sohn / die Söhne | the son / the sons |
die Tochter / die Töchter | the daughter / the daughters |
das Kind / die Kinder | the child / the children |
Example Sentences
Haben Sie Kinder? / Hast du Kinder? | Do you have children? (formal / informal) |
Wir haben zwei Kinder, ein Sohn und eine Tochter. | We have two children, a son and a daughter. |
Ich habe keine Kinder. | I don’t have any children. |
Top Tip: German has 2 ways of saying ‘you’, the formal ‘Sie’ and informal ‘du’. When people talk within their family groups, they only ever use the informal ‘du’ form.
Siblings
die Geschwister | the siblings |
der Bruder / die Brüder | the brother / the brothers |
die Schwester / die Schwestern | the sister / the sisters |
die Zwillinge | the twins |
das Einzelkind | the only-child |
der Halbbruder | the half brother |
die Halbschwester | the half sister |
Example Sentences
Haben Sie Geschwister? / Hast du Geschwister? | Do you have any siblings? (formal / informal) |
Ich bin ein Einzelkind. | I’m an only-child. |
Ich habe zwei Brüder und eine Halbschwester. | I have two brothers and one half sister. |
Grandparents
die Großeltern | the grandparents |
der Großvater | the grandfather |
die Großmutter | the grandmother |
der Enkel / die Enkel | the grandson / the grandsons |
die Enkelin / die Enkelinnen | the granddaughter / the granddaughters |
das Enkelkind / die Enkelkinder | the grandchild / the grandchildren |
Example Sentences
Haben Sie Enkelkinder? | Do you have grandchildren? (formal) |
Wir haben eine Enkelin. | We have a granddaughter. |
Meine Großeltern leben nicht mehr. | My grandparents aren’t alive anymore. |
Aunts & Uncles
der Onkel | the uncle |
die Tante | the aunt |
der Neffe / die Neffen | the nephew / the nephews |
die Nichte / die Nichten | the niece / the nieces |
der Cousin / die Cousins | the cousin / the cousins (male) |
die Cousine / die Cousinen | the cousin / the cousins (female) |
Example Sentences
Mein Onkel ist der Bruder meiner Mutter. | My uncle is my mother’s brother. |
Mein Onkel hat eine Tochter. Sie ist meine Cousine. | My uncle has a daughter. She is my cousin. |
Ich habe zwei Nichten, sie sind die Kinder meiner Schwestern. | I have two nieces, they are my sister’s children. |
Extended Family Members in German
Of course many families are quite complex, with a lot of extended family.
der Stiefvater | the step father |
die Stiefmutter | the step mother |
der Stiefbruder | the step brother |
die Stiefschwester | the step sister |
der Stiefsohn | the step son |
die Stieftochter | the step daughter |
der Schwiegervater | the father-in-law |
die Schwiegermutter | the mother-in-law |
der Schwiegersohn | the son-in-law |
die Schwiegertochter | the daughter-in-law |
der Schwager | the brother-in-law |
die Schwägerin | the sister-in-law |
Cute Names for Family Members in German
Just like in English, there are less formal names for family members in German. Most of us don’t call our mothers ‘mother’, we say ‘mom / mum’. Here are some common, alternative names for family members:
Mutter | Mutti / Mama | Mother > Mom / Mum |
Vater | Vati / Papa | Father > Dad |
Großvater | Opa | Grandfather > Granddad |
Großmutter | Oma | Grandmother > Granny |
Relationships in German
Family members aren’t always blood relatives. Someone may join a family when they are in a relationship with another person, therefore it’s also important to know how to talk about relationships in German.
der Ehemann / der Mann | the husband |
die Ehefrau / die Frau | the wife |
der Freund | the boyfriend |
die Freundin | the girlfriend |
der Familienstand | the relationship status |
die Beziehung | the relationship |
ledig | single |
verheiratet | married |
geschieden | divorced |
You may have spotted in this list that der Freund / die Freundin means boyfriend / girlfriend, but it also means male friend / female friend. This can be a bit confusing but you can read about how to tell the difference in my ’10 Ways to Say ‘Friend’ in German’ post.
Example Sentences
Ich bin seit 10 Jahren mit meinem Mann verheiratet. | I’ve been married to my husband for 10 years. |
Ich war bis letztes Jahr mit meinem Freund zusammen, aber jetzt bin ich ledig. | I was with my boyfriend until last year but now I’m single. |
Im Moment will ich keine Beziehung. | At the moment I don’t want a relationship. |