Family Members in Spanish
The family members in Spanish are mamá (mom), papá (dad), hermano (brother), hermana (sister), abuelo (grandpa), abuela (grandma), tío (uncle), tía (aunt), primo or prima (cousin) and bebé (baby). Many kids call a grandparent abu, and all of them together are la familia.
Below you’ll find all sixteen words with pronunciation, the everyday words families actually use, a five-minute game with the family photo, and a free printable chart for the fridge.
Family members in Spanish: the list, with pronunciation
| Spanish | Say it | English |
|---|---|---|
| la mamá | la ma-MA | mom |
| el papá | el pa-PA | dad |
| el hermano | el er-MA-no | brother |
| la hermana | la er-MA-na | sister |
| el abuelo | el a-BWE-lo | grandpa |
| la abuela | la a-BWE-la | grandma |
| el tío | el TEE-o | uncle |
| la tía | la TEE-a | aunt |
| el primo | el PREE-mo | cousin (boy) |
| la prima | la PREE-ma | cousin (girl) |
| el bebé | el be-BE | baby |
| el hijo | el EE-ho | son |
| la hija | la EE-ha | daughter |
| la familia | la fa-MEE-lya | family |
| el padrino | el pa-DREE-no | godfather |
| la madrina | la ma-DREE-na | godmother |
Two plurals worth knowing: los abuelos means grandparents (grandma and grandpa together) and los hermanosmeans brothers and sisters. Start with the people your child actually has. A child with no cousins doesn’t need primo this week; a child who sees la abuela every Sunday needs it today.
Stress the last syllable
The accent mark on mamá and papátells you where the push goes: ma-MA, pa-PA. English speakers tend to say MA-ma. Lean on the end of the word instead and you’ll sound like a kid calling from the next room.
One plural for mixed groups
When a group mixes boys and girls, Spanish uses the -os ending: los tíos are your aunts and uncles, los primos all your cousins. Your child will pick this up by hearing it. No need to explain grammar.
Everyday family words
Many kids say abu for grandma or grandpa. And el padrino and la madrina, the godparents, are close family in many homes.
How to say the family words: three sounds to know
The h is silent
Hermano starts with the e: er-MA-no. Hijo starts with the ee: EE-ho. Spanish never pronounces the h.
The j is a breathy h
In hijo and hija, the j sounds like a soft English h from the back of the throat, as if you were fogging a mirror.
The ll sounds like y
In ¿Cómo se llama? (what’s their name?), the ll sounds like the y in yes: se YA-ma.
Family words around the house
Family words are some of the easiest Spanish your child will learn, because they already talk about these people all day. You only need to swap in the Spanish word at the moments the people come up.
The photo on the fridge
Point and name while the milk comes out: la abuela, el tío, la prima. One photo, a few seconds, every morning.
At the dinner table
Call people to the table in Spanish: ¡Papá, a comer! (Dad, time to eat!). Your child will start calling them too.
Before a visit
Mañana viene la abuela (tomorrow grandma is coming). Anticipation makes the word matter, and the visit itself becomes the review.
How to use this with your child: ¿Quién es?
You don’t need to speak Spanish to play this. You need one family photo and the pronunciation column above. Point at a person and ask ¿Quién es? (kee-EN es, who is it?). Your child answers with the family word. Then swap roles and let them quiz you. Getting one wrong on purpose is allowed; kids love correcting a parent.
—¿Tienes hermanos?
—¡Sí! Tengo una hermana.
(“Do you have brothers and sisters? Yes! I have a sister.”) Once the photo game is easy, add this question. Ask it of a stuffed animal, of the dog, of yourself. Tienes means you have, and hermanos covers brothers and sisters in one word.
- 1
Read the chart aloud once, together. Your pronunciation doesn’t need to be perfect. It needs to be brave.
- 2
Tape it next to the family photo. The word and the face belong together.
- 3
Play ¿Quién es? for five minutes a day. Stop while it’s still fun.
- 4
Use the Spanish word in real life. ¡Mira, llegó papá! (Look, Dad’s home!)
Family members in Spanish and English: phrases to use at home
| Spanish | English |
|---|---|
| ¿Tienes hermanos? ¡Sí! Tengo una hermana. | Do you have brothers and sisters? Yes! I have a sister. |
| ¿Cómo se llama tu abuela? Se llama Rosa. | What's your grandma's name? Her name is Rosa. |
| Esta es mi familia. | This is my family. |
| ¿Quién es? ¡Es el tío! | Who is it? It's your uncle! |
| Te quiero mucho, abuela. | I love you very much, grandma. |
Get the free printable family chart
One page: all sixteen family words with pronunciation and English, three short notes (the stress on mamá, the mixed plural, the everyday abu) and the ¿Tienes hermanos? question. Print it and put it next to the family photo.
Download the Chart (Free PDF)Questions parents ask
How do you say family members in Spanish?
In Spanish your family is la familia: mamá (mom), papá (dad), hermano (brother), hermana (sister), abuelo (grandpa), abuela (grandma), tío (uncle), tía (aunt), primo or prima (cousin), bebé (baby), hijo (son) and hija (daughter). Say them with the little word in front, el or la, because that is how your child will hear them.
What do you call grandma in Spanish?
Grandma is abuela (a-BWE-la) and grandpa is abuelo. Many kids shorten both to abu: ¡Hola, abu! Use whatever your own family already says; the Spanish word can sit right next to it.
How do you ask "Do you have brothers and sisters?" in Spanish?
Ask ¿Tienes hermanos? (TYE-nes er-MA-nos). The answer can be ¡Sí! Tengo una hermana (Yes! I have a sister) or No, no tengo hermanos. Hermanos covers brothers and sisters together, so you only need one question. Tienes means you have.
What is the word for cousin in Spanish?
Cousin is primo for a boy and prima for a girl. A group of cousins, even a mixed one, is los primos. Children use the word constantly, because cousins are often the first people they play with at family gatherings, so it is worth teaching early alongside tío and tía, the aunts and uncles those cousins belong to.
Where the family words show up next
After the photo game, the next step is hearing the same words inside a story. In Manuel va a la escuela, Manuel walks to school with his mamá and Lola with her papá. Read it after a week of the photo game and your child will catch both words on their own. Family words also pair well with greetings: ¡Hola, abuela!
Chart Nº 10: Emotions
Feliz, triste, enojado, and how to ask ¿Cómo te sientes? at bedtime.
Chart Nº 7: Animals
Perro, gato, vaca and the sounds they make in Spanish.
Chart Nº 8: Body Parts
Cabeza to pies, with a labeled diagram and the Tócate la nariz game.
Chart Nº 9: The Alphabet
All 27 letters, their names, and their sounds.
More free printables
The family words also appear in our free word search, flashcards and worksheets.
Get the Free Starter Story Pack
A short printable Manuel y Lola story with a parent guide in English.
Practice the same words in print: Spanish word search (the family puzzle), printable flashcards (eight family cards) and trace-and-match worksheets. The fuller Foundations Pack is still in the works and isn’t for sale yet.
Sources
- Stephen Krashen: Principles and Practice in Second Language Acquisition (1982), the influential input hypothesis: people acquire language by understanding messages they hear