Family vocabulary in German helps you introduce people, talk about your home, and explain relationships in everyday conversations. In German, it is especially useful to learn each family word with its article: die Mutter, der Vater, das Kind.
Close family
These are the most common words for your immediate family. Pay attention to der, die, and das because they affect possessives and sentence patterns.
- Die – Mother
- Der – Father
- Die – Parents
- Der – Son
- Die – Daughter
- Der – Brother
- Die – Sister
- Das – Baby
- Das – Child
- Einzelkind – Only child
- Älterer Bruder – Elder brother
- Jüngere Schwester – Younger sister
Examples:
- Meine Mutter lebt in Berlin. (My mother lives in Berlin.)
- Ich habe einen Bruder und eine Schwester. (I have one brother and one sister.)
- Sie ist ein Einzelkind. (She is an only child.)
Note: Eltern means parents as a group. For relative, use Verwandter or Verwandte, depending on the person.
Grandparents and grandchildren
Use these words to talk about generations: grandparents, grandchildren, and great-grandparents.
- Die – Grandmother
- Der – Grandfather
- Die Großeltern – Grandparents
- Die – Granddaughter
- Der – Grandson
- Die Enkelkinder – Grandchildren
- Die – Great-grandmother
- Der – Great-grandfather
- Die Urgroßeltern – Great-grandparents
- Der Vorfahr – Ancestor
- Der Nachkomme – Descendant
Examples:
- Meine Großmutter kocht sehr gut. (My grandmother cooks very well.)
- Ihre Enkelkinder kommen am Sonntag. (Their grandchildren come on Sunday.)
- Mein Urgroßvater war Lehrer. (My great-grandfather was a teacher.)
Aunts, uncles, cousins, nephews and nieces
Some German family words look familiar, but others are very different. Learn the pairs Cousin/Cousine and Neffe/Nichte together.
- Der – Uncle
- Die – Aunt
- Der – Male cousin
- Die – Female cousin
- Cousin oder Cousine – Cousin
- Der – Nephew
- Die – Niece
- Cousin zweiten Grades – Second cousin
Examples:
- Mein Onkel hat zwei Kinder. (My uncle has two children.)
- Meine Cousine studiert Kunst. (My female cousin studies art.)
- Meine Nichte ist acht Jahre alt. (My niece is eight years old.)
Partner and in-laws
German in-law words often start with Schwieger-: Schwiegervater, Schwiegermutter, Schwager, Schwägerin.
- Der – Husband
- Die – Wife
- Der – Partner
- Der Ehepartner – Spouse
- Der Verlobte – Fiancé
- Die Verlobte – Fiancée
- Der – Father-in-law
- Die – Mother-in-law
- Der – Son-in-law
- Die – Daughter-in-law
- Der – Brother-in-law
- Die – Sister-in-law
Examples:
- Ihr Ehemann arbeitet nachts. (Her husband works at night.)
- Meine Schwiegermutter ist sehr freundlich. (My mother-in-law is very kind.)
- Sein Schwager lebt in Kanada. (His brother-in-law lives in Canada.)
More useful family words
These words help you describe more specific family relationships. They are useful for real conversations and for understanding family introductions.
- Die Familie – Family
- Der Verwandte – Relative
- Der Stiefvater – Stepfather
- Die Stiefmutter – Stepmother
- Der Stiefsohn – Stepson
- Die Stieftochter – Stepdaughter
- Der Stiefbruder – Stepbrother
- Die Stiefschwester – Stepsister
- Der Halbbruder – Half-brother
- Die Halbschwester – Half-sister
- Der Pate – Godfather
- Die Patin – Godmother
- Der Patensohn – Godson
- Die Patentochter – Goddaughter
- Der Zwilling – Twin
Examples:
- Ich habe eine große Familie. (I have a big family.)
- Mein Pate wohnt in der Nähe. (My godfather lives nearby.)
- Sie hat eine Halbschwester. (She has a half-sister.)
How to make simple sentences
To talk about family in German, use possessives like mein, meine, dein, deine, sein, and seine. The form changes with the gender and number of the family word.
- Meine Mutter – My mother
- Mein Vater – My father
- Meine Schwester – My sister
- Mein Bruder – My brother
- Meine Eltern – My parents
- Seine Kinder – His children
You can also use these simple patterns:
- Das ist mein... – This is my... for masculine or neuter words
- Das ist meine... – This is my... for feminine words
- Ich habe... – I have...
- Er ist mein... – He is my...
- Sie ist meine... – She is my...
Examples:
- Das ist mein Vater. (This is my father.)
- Das ist meine Mutter. (This is my mother.)
- Ich habe zwei Kinder. (I have two children.)
Common mistakes
Confusing Eltern with relatives
Eltern means parents. For relatives, use Verwandter, Verwandte, or the plural Verwandte.
- Meine Eltern – My parents
- Meine Verwandten – My relatives
Correct: Meine Eltern wohnen hier. (My parents live here.) Correct: Ich habe viele Verwandte in Deutschland. (I have many relatives in Germany.)
Using mein and meine incorrectly
Do not use only one form for “my”. German changes the possessive with the family word.
- Mein Vater – My father
- Meine Mutter – My mother
- Mein Bruder – My brother
- Meine Schwester – My sister
Using Söhne for all children
Söhne means sons. For children in general, use Kinder. For daughters, use Töchter.
- Ich habe zwei Kinder – I have two children
- Ich habe zwei Söhne – I have two sons
- Ich habe zwei Töchter – I have two daughters
With these words, you can introduce your family, describe close relationships, and understand basic conversations in German. Start with short sentences like Das ist meine Mutter or Ich habe einen Bruder, then add details such as city, age, or job.