Family is at the heart of Spanish-speaking cultures. Learning to talk about family and describe people opens doors to meaningful connections and deeper cultural understanding. Let's build your family vocabulary tree!
Most family words come as a pair: the -o form for a man, the -a form for a woman. Both are listed so you can hear the difference.
los hermanos can mean "the brothers" or "the brother and sister"; a mixed group takes the masculine plural. So tengo tres hermanos may well be two sisters and a brother. los padres is "the parents", and los tíos is just as often "aunt and uncle" as "the uncles".
Spanish descriptions are like painting - you start with broad strokes (tall, short) and add details (eye color, hair type). Remember: adjectives must agree with gender!
Viejo applied to a person is blunt in a way the English "old" is not. una persona mayor is the ordinary, courteous way to describe an older person. Similarly, gordo is best avoided about someone present — fuerte or grande does the work without the edge.
Spanish adjectives are chameleons - they change to match the gender and number of what they describe!
| Adjective | Masc. sing. | Fem. sing. | Masc. pl. | Fem. pl. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| alto tall | alto | alta | altos | altas |
| inteligente intelligent | inteligente | inteligente | inteligentes | inteligentes |
| trabajador hardworking | trabajador | trabajadora | trabajadores | trabajadoras |
| joven young | joven | joven | jóvenes | jóvenes |
An adjective ending in -o has all four forms. One ending in -e or in a consonant uses one form for both genders and only adds -s or -es in the plural. The exception worth knowing is -dor, which behaves like the -o group: trabajador / trabajadora. Note joven → jóvenes — the written accent appears in the plural to hold the stress on the syllable it always had.
| Owner | One thing owned | Several things owned |
|---|---|---|
| my | mi hermano | mis hermanos |
| your informal | tu hermano | tus hermanos |
| his, her, your formal | su hermano | sus hermanos |
| our | nuestro hermano | nuestros hermanos |
| your plural, Spain | vuestro hermano | vuestros hermanos |
| their, your plural | su hermano | sus hermanos |
This is the trap for English speakers. sus hermanos is plural because there are several brothers — it says nothing about how many owners there are. And su covers his, her, their and formal your, so su casa es bonita needs context to resolve. Only nuestro and vuestro change for gender as well: nuestra hermana, nuestras hermanas.
Key Phrases:
"Mi familia es pequeña. Tengo dos hermanos - un hermano mayor y una hermana menor. Mi hermano se llama Carlos y tiene veinticinco años. Es alto y moreno. Mi hermana se llama Ana y tiene dieciocho años. Es baja y rubia. Mis padres son muy simpáticos. Mi madre es profesora y mi padre es médico."
Fill in your family relationships in Spanish:
Match the description to the correct form:
Answers: alta, inteligentes, divertido, amables
Friend: Te presento a mi familia.
You: Mucho gusto. Tienen una familia muy grande.
Friend: Sí, somos seis hermanos.
You: ¡Qué divertido! Yo solo tengo una hermana.
Person A: ¿Cómo es tu profesor de español?
Person B: Es muy simpático y paciente. Es alto y tiene el pelo gris.
Person A: ¿Es joven o mayor?
Person B: Es de mediana edad, tiene unos cuarenta años.
In Spanish-speaking cultures, family extends beyond the nuclear family. It's common for multiple generations to live together or nearby. Family gatherings are frequent and important. When meeting someone new, asking about their family shows genuine interest and respect.
Common family-related expressions:
This week, create your family album in Spanish:
Most family words follow patterns:
Remember: Every Spanish speaker started by describing their own family. It's the perfect safe space to practice new vocabulary and grammar patterns!