It is likely very easy to talk about your family tree in your native language but are you able to do the same when speaking in English? If the answer is no, there is no need to worry because in this section, you will be learning how to talk about your family tree and how different people are related to one another.
Immediate Family
These terms refer to the closest relatives you may interact with daily.
- Father: a male parent; the man who is the parent of a child.
- Mother: a female parent; the woman who is the parent of a child.
- Brother: the male child of the same parents.
- Sister: the female child of the same parents.
- Son: a male child.
- Daughter: a female child.
Relatives and Extended Family
grandparents: the parents of your parents
grandfather: the father of your father/mother
grandmother: the mother of your father/mother
grandchildren: the children of your children
grandson: the son of one of your children
granddaughter:the daughter of one of your children
great grandfather: the father of your grandfather/grandmother
great grandmother: the mother of your grandfather/grandmother
uncle: the brother (or brother-in-law) of your mother/father aunt: the sister (or sister-in-law)of your mother/father cousin: the child of your aunt/uncle nephew: the male child of your brother/sister niece: the female child of your brother/sister
In-Laws
In-laws are relatives by marriage, and understanding these terms is valuable for those learning English. They allow you to describe family connections formed through marriage.
- Father-in-law: the father of your husband or wife; related by marriage.
- Mother-in-law: the mother of your husband or wife; related by marriage.
- Brother-in-law: the brother of your husband or wife; or husband of your sister.
- Sister-in-law: the sister of your husband or wife; or wife of your brother.
Step Family
‘Step Family’ includes those who become part of the family through the remarriage of a parent. Here is a list of ‘step family’ members:
- Step-mother: The wife of one’s biological father, not one’s biological mother.
- Step-father: The husband of one’s biological mother, not one’s biological father.
- Step-brother: The son of one’s stepmother or stepfather by a previous partnership.
- Step-sister: The daughter of one’s stepmother or stepfather by a previous partnership.
- Step-son: The son of one’s spouse by a previous marriage.
- Step-daughter: The daughter of one’s spouse by a previous marriage.
Half-Siblings
‘Half-Siblings’ are siblings that share only one biological or adoptive parent. Here are ‘half-sibling’ terms:
- Half-brother: A brother who shares only one parent.
- Half-sister: A sister who shares only one parent.
Twins
‘Twins’ are siblings born at the same time from the same pregnancy. Here is the term for ‘twins’:
- Twin: One of two children born from the same pregnancy.
Family Friends
The vocabulary associated with family friends extends family terminology to non-biological relationships that are still considered familial. Learning these terms helps you describe these special connections.
- Godmother: a woman who sponsors a child at baptism; often a close family friend.
- Godfather: a man who sponsors a child at baptism; often a close family friend.
- Guardian: a person who is legally responsible for a child; other than the child's biological parents.
Foster Family
‘Foster Family’ members are individuals who temporarily take on the care of a child whose biological parents are unable to care for them. Here is a list of ‘foster family’ members:
- Foster mother: A woman who temporarily takes care of a child not biologically her own.
- Foster father: A man who temporarily takes care of a child not biologically his own.
- Foster sister: A daughter in the foster family.
- Foster brother: A son in the foster family.
- Foster son: A boy placed with a foster family.
- Foster daughter: A girl placed with a foster family.
Removed and Distant Relatives
‘Removed and Distant Relatives’ are relatives that are further removed by multiple generations or degrees. Here is a list of ‘removed and distant relatives’:
- Second cousin: A child of one’s parent’s first cousin.
- Third cousin: A child of one’s parent’s second cousin.
- Fourth cousin: A child of one’s parent’s third cousin.
- Cousin once-removed: The child of one’s first cousin or the first cousin of one’s parent.
- Cousin twice-removed: The grandchild of one’s first cousin or the first cousin of one’s grandparent.
- Cousin thrice-removed: The great-grandchild of one’s first cousin or the first cousin of one’s great-grandparent.
Common Terms about family members
- Family tree: a diagram showing the relationships between people in several generations of a family; a genealogical chart.
- Ancestor: a person who was in your family in the past times, several generations ago; also called forebear or progenitor.
- Descendant: a person who relates to a specific ancestor.
- Sibling: a brother or sister; a person with the same parents as another person.
- Nephew: the son of your brother or sister; your sibling's male child.
- Niece: the daughter of your brother or sister; your sibling's female child.
- Great-grandfather: the grandfather of your mother or father.
- Great-grandmother: the grandmother of your mother or father.
- Second cousin: a child of a first cousin of your parents; related but not closely.
- Twin sister: a sister born at the same time as you.
- Twin brother: a brother born at the same time as you.
- Triplets: three siblings born at the same time; three children born to the same mother at one birth.
- Ex-husband: a former husband.
- Ex-wife: a former wife.
Common conversation examples to discuss family
Q: How many brothers and sisters do you have? A: I’ve got one older brother and two younger sisters.
Q: How many siblings do you have? A: I have two sisters, one older and one younger.
Q: Do you have a big family? A: My family consists of my mom, my stepdad, my brother Michael and my dog Bruno.
Q: Do you have kids? A: I have a 5-year-old daughter.
Q: What's your family like? A: My family is very close. My sisters are my best friends! We all get along really well and have lots of fun together.
some common questions about family members with sample answers:
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What is your father's name?
Answer: "My father's name is John Smith." -
How many siblings do you have?
Answer: "I have two siblings, an older brother and a younger sister." -
What does your mother do for a living?
Answer: "My mother is a teacher." -
Where do your grandparents live?
Answer: "My grandparents live in Florida." -
How old is your youngest cousin?
Answer: "My youngest cousin is six years old." -
What's your sister's favorite hobby?
Answer: "My sister's favorite hobby is painting." -
Do you have any nieces or nephews?
Answer: "Yes, I have two nieces and one nephew." -
Who is the oldest member of your family?
Answer: "My grandmother is the oldest member of our family." -
What's your uncle's occupation?
Answer: "My uncle is a software engineer." -
Who is your closest relative?
Answer: "My closest relative is my cousin Sarah."
