English Vocabulary for talking about your family.
Your family tree
Your closest relatives are your parents: your mother and father; and your siblings (brothers or sisters). If your mother or father is not an only child, you also have aunts and / or uncles. An aunt is the sister of your mother or father, while an uncle is the brother of your mother or father. Your female child is called your daughter, and your male child is your son.
If your aunts or uncles have children, they are your first cousins. (In English, the word cousin is used, whether the cousin is female or male.) Your female cousin is your mother (or father's) niece, while a male cousin is the nephew of your mother and father.
In-laws
When you marry, your husband (or wife's) family become your in-laws. The mother of your spouse (husband or wife) is your mother-in-law and his or her father becomes your father-in-law. The term in-law is also used to describe your relationship with the spouses of your siblings. So the husband of your sister becomes your brother-in-law, while the sister of your husband becomes your sister-in-law. If you are a woman, you become the daughter-in-law of your husband's parents, and if you are a man, you become the son-in-law of your wife's parents. The same term in-law is used for all generations. The husband of your aunt is still your mother's brother-in-law, for example.
Grandparents / grandchildren
The parents of your parents are your grandparents – grandmother and grandfather. You are their grandchildren – either a granddaughter or a grandson. If your grandparent has a sister, she is your great-aunt. If your grandparent has a brother, he is your great-uncle. (And you are either his or her great-niece or great-nephew.)
The mother of your grandmother or grandfather is your great-grandmother. The father is your great-grandfather. If you go back another generation, the grandmother of your grandmother / grandfather is your great-great-grandmother. The grandfather of your grandparent becomes your great-great-grandfather.
Second families
If your mother or father remarries, you can acquire a new family and set of relatives. For example, if your father marries a second wife, she becomes your step-mother. Any children she already has become your step-sisters or step-brothers.
If your mother or father remarries and has children, they become your half-brothers or half-sisters.
You might also hear people talking about their biological brother / sister etc, to mean a brother who is related by blood, rather than by marriage.
Types of family
nuclear family = mother, father and children: "The traditional British family unit is a nuclear family."
single-parent / one-parent family = a family which only has one parent (because the parents are divorced, or because one of the parents has died): "There are more and more single-parent families in the UK."
immediate family = your closest relatives: "Only immediate family members attended the funeral."
extended family = your entire family: "The wedding invitations were sent to the entire extended family."
close-knit family = a family where the members have close relationships with each other: "They are a close-knit family."
dysfunctional family = a family where the members have serious problems with each other: "He comes from a rather dysfunctional family."
blood relative = a relative connected to you by "blood" rather than through marriage: "She's not a blood relative, but we're still very close."
Expressions with family
family gathering = a meeting / celebration of family members: "There's a small family gathering next week."
family resemblance = where members of the family look / act similar: "You can see a distinct family resemblance between the father and the son."
to start a family = to start having children: "They want to wait a couple of years before starting a family."
to run in the family = a characteristic that is common among family members: "Baldness runs in his family."
to bring up / raise a family = to have and look after children: "It's difficult to raise a family on one income."
a family car = a car big enough to transport a family: "The Volvo Estate is a popular family car."
family-size = large quantity item: "We need to buy family-size packets of biscuits!"
family-friendly = a policy that favours families: "This hotel is family-friendly."
family doctor = a doctor who looks after general medical needs: "There are a number of good family doctors in this area."
family man = a man who prefers to spend his time with his family: "John is a family man."
family values = traditional ideas about what a family should be: "Some political parties often emphasise family values and the importance of marriage."
family name = surname: "What's your family name?"
Describing family relationships
Children often quarrel with each other, and these arguments – or squabbles – are often quickly resolved. In fact, sibling rivalry (the competition between brothers and sisters) is quite common.
More seriously, if arguments continue into adulthood, family feuds can develop where both sides can end up hating each other and even trying to hurt or destroy each other.
A person who no longer speaks to a family member is estranged from his / her family. Often estrangement is voluntary. However, if parents decide they no longer want anything to do with their children, they cut them off (= break off communiation), or even disinherit them. (Decide not to leave them anything when they die.)
Most people feel loyalty to their family, and will defend family members saying "He / She's family". There's also a saying "Blood's thicker than water" which means that your family ties are stronger than any other relationships.
59 comments on “Talking about your family”
Do step-brother/sister and biological brother/sister mean the same? If not, what is the difference?
They're completely different. A biological brother / sister is a brother or sister who shares at least one parent with you. However, a step brother or sister is the child of your mother or father's second spouse, and doesn't share any genes with you.
So, what's is the difference between a biological brother and a half brother? Thanks
We use "biological" to talk about blood relatives rather than relatives acquired through marriage. So a half brother is a biological brother, because one of his (genetic) parents is also one of your (genetic) parents.
i am from a single parent family.. wow, ive leArned that here.. thanks..
how to distinguish between male cousin and female cousin?
how to distinguish between the two grandfathers and the two grandmothers?
how to distinguish between the uncle from the mother's side and the uncle from the father's?
THANKS
We can't distinguish between them in English. Your uncle is your uncle, whether he's your mother's brother, or your father's brother. We don't have different names depending on which side of the family a person is from. If you wanted to make it clear, you could say "my uncle on my father's side".
Hello, I've learned a lot here.But i think that family terms must be different from one place to another,& maybe people use different terms in their slangs or dialects.Thanks a lot, & keep it up.
I really appreciate what I've just read, which I find hard to understand with a dictionary. I'd like to thank you very much.
it's a nice website for students who wants to be good in English.
one question put by one visitor is how we can distinguish between father's side relatives and relatives from mother's side. so, the answer is you can call them paternal (relatives from father's side like paternal uncle ) and maternal (relative from mother's side like maternal uncle). i feel this will solve your problem.
thankyou
This is a marvellous site, thanks a lot!!!!
if we share the same mum but got deferent dad are we real or half siblings thanks
lisa ยป You are half brother / sister if you share one parent.
Thanks! Helped a LOT!
thank you for this topic. you can help enrich people's voc by these types of topics
what are my cousins children to mine? they are called ????
I'm really not sure. Perhaps they are second cousins?
ok.. so befor i was born my dad was married and had 2 children.. they never got divorced but they seperated and he had other children (me) my father is now deceased meaning he is no longer marrid soi have two half brothers.. what would there mother be to me? step mother?
Yes, you could call her your step mother. She was married / partner to your dad, but there's no blood relationship between you and her.
I recently got married. I know that my husband's brother is my brother in-law but what about his wife. Would she be my sister in-law. My husband that she is only his sister in-law and not mine. I am confused a little.
Good question. You could say "my brother-in-law's wife" to be crystal clear.
When your wife dies, is her brothers still considerd
your brother in laws
Yes, I think so.
MY SON IS MARRIED AND HAS A BEAUTIFUL SON. WHO IS HIS WIFE'S IMMEDIATE FAMILY? HIS WIFE AND SON? OR HER MOTHER AND FATHER AND BROTHER?
I'M NOT SURE?
ME
Your immediate family is your spouse (husband or wife) and your children. If you are not married, your immediate family is your parents and brothers and sisters.
Me and a co-worker were wondering What relation would my brother in-law's wife's sister in-law woulld be to me? I know there would be no blood. My co-worker says she would be my sister in-law???? Im thinking Friend ?? Who's right?
If you were a man, she would be your wife.
An example: I am female. My husband's brother-in-law is his wife's brother (my brother). His wife's brother's wife is my sister-in-law. Her sister-in-law is me. So if you were a man, the "me" is your wife.
If you were a woman, she would be you.
I HAVE A NIECE WHO HAS A SON AND I KNOW THAT MAKES HIM MY GRAND NEPHEW SO WHAT DOES THAT MAKE HIM TO MY SON?
THANKS
I honestly don't know. Perhaps a second cousin, although these are same generation and in your case, your son is a generation older than your grand-nephew. I'd say informally a kind of uncle, but I'm sure there is a more accurate term!
Is my step-father's relatives my relatives. Example his cousins are my cousins, though we're not blood related.
No, they aren't relatives. But you could say "my family on my step-father's side".
is my sister's mother in law also my mother in law or is there no relationship at all?
All this is told in a very good way. I like it a lot.
Thank you so much for this.
I have one question.
If there are two sisters.
What will be the relationship of their husbands with each other?
Thanks.
No relationship!
None, as far as I know. They could say "my wife's brother-in-law".
What do you call the aunt/uncle of your husband/wife? Do you still call it aunt/uncle? Because aunt-in-law or uncle-in-law applies to the wife/husband of your biological uncle/aunt according to answers.com
I'd say "my husband's uncle" or "my husband's aunt". I'd never say "aunt-in-law" to refer to the wife of my biological uncle. In fact, I'd call her my aunt – even if she isn't a biological relation.
what do you call your daughter-in-law's parents?
I think you can only really say "my daughter-in-law's parents".
what is your relationship with your parent's first cousin,
I'd just say "My Mum's cousin" for example. There's probably a more technical term, but I've never heard it used.
My wife died and my mother-in-law says she is still legally my mother-in-law. Is she right?
is my deceased husband's brother my brother-in-law or my ex brother-in-law?
Probably the first, as the second makes it sound as if your husband is an ex-husband, rather than your late husband.
what 's the meaning of step-uncle , step-aunt?
If your father marries again, his new wife is your step-mother. Her brother or sister would be your step-uncle, or step-aunt.
My brother is married to a girl and she has four brother are we related in anyway?
Thanks
No. They're your brother's brother-in-laws.
My brother is getting married for the 2nd time. His new wife will be my sister-in-law or just sister-in-law? What will her son and daughter be to my daughter? Cousins or step-cousins or cousins-in-law??
His new wife will be your sister-in-law. If her son and daughter are by a previous relationship, they could be step cousins. But your children will probably just refer to them as cousins. (I've never heard the term "cousins-in-law" by the way!)
My dad was married to his first wife had a son.Now hes married to my mother.my questions are……Is he my step or half brother?what the diffence?What is my step/half brothers wife to me?And is my step/half brother wife sister related to me?
Your father's son is your half-brother. (A step brother is if your father married a woman who already had a son by a previous partner.) The wife of your hafl-brother is your sister-in-law, but the wife of your step brother would probably be "your step brother's wife". Your half-brother's sister would be your half-sister. Your step-brother's sister is your step-sister.
If you shared the same great-grandfather what would your realationship be to each other?
Either brother / sister / cousin in your most immediate family, or second cousin of a person who was born to one of your parent's cousins.
my brother has a sister on his mother side of the family. I am my brother sister on my father side of the family. Does that mean his sister and i are sisters?
If he's your brother, do you share both a mother or a father, or only one parent?
Would my mother and my mother-in-law be considered relatives?
No, I don't think so.
would my niece on my sister side be related to my cousin on my father side? That would be my mothers daughters child from a different marriage and then married my father and his brothers child so would niece and cousin be related?
my brother wife her brother what relation with me
Your sister-in-law's brother.
Perhaps they would be step cousins.
