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.

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.

Read next: Introductions in German: 25 Easy Ways to Introduce Yourself & Others