Family vocabulary in French helps you introduce people, talk about your home, and explain relationships in everyday conversations. Some words look familiar, but accents, articles, and meanings matter: mère, père, frère, sœur.
Close family
These are the most common words for your immediate family. Learn each word with its article so you can recognize gender and use possessives more naturally.
- La – Mother
- Le – Father
- Les – Parents
- Le – Son
- La – Daughter
- Le – Brother
- La – Sister
- Le – Baby
- L' – Child
- Enfant unique – Only child
- Grand frère – Elder brother
- Petite sœur – Younger sister
Examples:
- Ma mère vit à Paris. (My mother lives in Paris.)
- J'ai un frère et une sœur. (I have one brother and one sister.)
- Elle est enfant unique. (She is an only child.)
Note: In French, parents means parents, not relatives. For relatives or close people, use proches or famille, depending on context.
Grandparents and grandchildren
Use these words to talk about generations: grandparents, grandchildren, and great-grandparents.
- La – Grandmother
- Le – Grandfather
- Les grands-parents – Grandparents
- La – Granddaughter
- Le – Grandson
- Les petits-enfants – Grandchildren
- L' – Great-grandmother
- L' – Great-grandfather
- Les arrière-grands-parents – Great-grandparents
- Ancêtre – Ancestor
- Descendant – Descendant
Examples:
- Ma grand-mère cuisine très bien. (My grandmother cooks very well.)
- Ses petits-enfants viennent le dimanche. (Their grandchildren come on Sundays.)
- Mon arrière-grand-père était professeur. (My great-grandfather was a teacher.)
Aunts, uncles, cousins, nephews and nieces
French has masculine and feminine forms for many family words. Pay attention to cousin/cousine and neveu/nièce.
- L' – Uncle
- La – Aunt
- Le – Male cousin
- La – Female cousin
- Cousin ou cousine – Cousin
- Le – Nephew
- La – Niece
- Cousin éloigné – Distant cousin
Examples:
- Mon oncle a deux enfants. (My uncle has two children.)
- Ma cousine étudie l'art. (My female cousin studies art.)
- Ma nièce a huit ans. (My niece is eight years old.)
Partner and in-laws
In French, several in-law words use beau- or belle-: beau-père, belle-mère, beau-frère, belle-sœur.
- Le – Husband
- La – Wife
- Le – Partner
- Conjoint – Spouse
- Fiancé – Fiancé
- Fiancée – Fiancée
- Le – Father-in-law
- La – Mother-in-law
- Le – Son-in-law
- La – Daughter-in-law
- Le – Brother-in-law
- La – Sister-in-law
Examples:
- Son mari travaille la nuit. (Her husband works at night.)
- Ma belle-mère est très gentille. (My mother-in-law is very kind.)
- Son beau-frère vit au Canada. (His brother-in-law lives in Canada.)
More useful family words
These words help you describe more specific family relationships. They are useful in real conversations, even if you do not use all of them every day.
- Famille – Family
- Proche – Relative or close person
- Beau-père – Stepfather or father-in-law
- Belle-mère – Stepmother or mother-in-law
- Beau-fils – Stepson or son-in-law
- Belle-fille – Stepdaughter or daughter-in-law
- Demi-frère – Half-brother
- Demi-sœur – Half-sister
- Frère adoptif – Adoptive brother
- Sœur adoptive – Adoptive sister
- Parrain – Godfather
- Marraine – Godmother
- Filleul – Godson
- Filleule – Goddaughter
- Jumeau – Twin
Examples:
- J'ai une grande famille. (I have a big family.)
- Mon parrain habite près d'ici. (My godfather lives nearby.)
- Elle a une demi-sœur. (She has a half-sister.)
How to make simple sentences
To talk about family in French, use possessives like ma, mon, ton, ta, son, and sa. The form depends on the family word: ma mère, but mon père.
- Ma mère – My mother
- Mon père – My father
- Ma sœur – My sister
- Mon frère – My brother
- Mes parents – My parents
- Ses enfants – His, her, or their children
You can also use these simple patterns:
- C'est mon... – This is my... for a masculine person
- C'est ma... – This is my... for a feminine person
- J'ai... – I have...
- Il est mon... – He is my...
- Elle est ma... – She is my...
Examples:
- C'est mon père. (This is my father.)
- C'est ma mère. (This is my mother.)
- J'ai deux enfants. (I have two children.)
Common mistakes
Using mon and ma incorrectly
Do not use only one form for “my”. French changes the possessive with the family word.
- Mon père – My father
- Ma mère – My mother
- Mon frère – My brother
- Ma sœur – My sister
Using fils for all children
Fils means son or sons. For children in general, use enfants. For daughters, use filles.
- J'ai deux enfants – I have two children
- J'ai deux fils – I have two sons
- J'ai deux filles – I have two daughters
With these words, you can introduce your family, describe close relationships, and understand basic conversations in French. Start with short sentences like C'est ma mère or J'ai un frère, then add details such as city, age, or job.