essay about my family in german language

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German Essays on My Family: Meine Familie

Learning or Practising German Language? or your tutor asked you to write about your family, or you can say you need to write an essay on My family (Meine Familie) but you have no idea how to do that and where to start?

Well, In this blog post, I have shared some Easy Essays on My Family (Meine Familie) . All the best and keep learning.

Before Start, First we need to discuss some vocabulary related to Family.

The following list includes most of the members of your family tree. Get familiar with these words so you can recognize them:

Read Also: Easy German Essays for Beginners: 8 Examples to Practice Your Language Skills

• der Bruder (dêr brooh -der) ( brother )
• der Cousin (dêr kooh -zen) ( male cousin )
• die Cousine (dee kooh- zeen -e) ( female cousin )
• die Eltern (dee êl -tern) ( parents )
• die Frau (dee frou) ( woman/wife )
• die Geschwister (dee ge- shvis -ter) ( siblings )
• die Großeltern (dee grohs -êl-tern) ( grandparents )
• die Großmutter (dee grohs -moot-er) ( grandmother )
• der Großvater (dêr grohs -fah-ter) ( grandfather )
• der Junge (dêr yoong -e) ( boy )
• die Kinder (dee kin -der) ( children, kids )
• das Mädchen (dâs maid -Hên) ( girl )
• der Mann (dêr mân) ( man/husband )
• die Mutter (dee moot -er) ( mother )
• der Onkel (dêr on -kel) ( uncle )
• die Schwester (dee shvês -ter) ( sister )
• der Sohn (dêr zohn) ( son )
• die Tante (dee tân -te) ( aunt )
• die Tochter (dee toH -ter) ( daughter )
• der Vater (dêr fah -ter) ( father )

Use the following words for the in-laws:

• der Schwager (dêr shvah -ger) ( brother-in-law )
• die Schwägerin (dee shvai -ger-in) ( sister-in-law )
• die Schwiegereltern (dee shvee -ger-êl-tern) ( parents-in-law )
• die Schwiegermutter (dee shvee -ger-moot-er) ( mother-in-law )
• der Schwiegersohn (dêr shvee -ger-zohn) ( son-in-law )
• die Schwiegertochter (dee shvee -ger-toH-ter) ( daughter-in-law )
• der Schwiegervater (dêr shvee -ger-fah-ter) ( father-in-law )

To express the term step-, you use the prefix Stief- with the name of the relative, like in this example: Stiefbruder ( steef- brooh-der) ( step-brother ). The term for a half relative uses the prefix Halb- , so half-sister looks like this: Halbschwester ( hâlp- shvês-ter).

German-speaking children use the following terms to talk about their parents and grandparents:

• die Mama (dee mâ -mâ) ( mom )
• die Mutti (dee moot -ee) ( mommy )
• die Oma (dee oh -mâ) ( grandma )
• der Opa (der oh -pâ) ( grandpa )
• der Papa (dêr pâ -pâ) ( dad )
• der Vati (dêr fâ -tee) ( daddy )

When directly addressing their elders, children leave out the articles dee (dee) ( the ) and der (dêr) ( the ). For example, Mama! Komm her! ( mâ -mâ!! kom hêr!) ( Mom! Come here! )

Read our Complete Vocabulary: Talking about – The Family – in German

Essay One: The Average Family

Meine Familie ist eine kleine Kernfamilie, die zu einer bürgerlichen Familie gehört. Meine Familie besteht aus vier Mitgliedern, einem Vater, einer Mutter, mir und einer kleinen Schwester. Wie andere indische Familien sind wir keine große Familie. Wir leben in Berlin, aber meine Großeltern leben auf dem Land. Zusammen mit meinen Großeltern wird meine Familie eine kleine Familie. Meine Familie ist eine vollständige, positive und glückliche Familie, die mir und meiner Schwester viel Liebe, Wärme und Sicherheit schenkt. Ich fühle mich in meiner Familie so glücklich, dass es auf mich aufpasst und alle meine Bedürfnisse erfüllt. Eine glückliche Familie bietet ihren Mitgliedern die folgenden Vorteile.

Here is what the text is about (this is not a 1-to-1 translation!)

My family is a small nuclear family that belongs to a middle-class family. My family consists of four members, a father, a mother, me and a little sister. Like other Indian families, we are not a big family. We live in Berlin, Germany, but my grandparents live in the countryside. Together with my grandparents, my family becomes a little family together. My family is a complete, positive and happy family, giving me and my sister a lot of love, warmth and security. I feel so happy in my family that it takes care of me and meets all my needs. A happy family offers the following benefits to its members.

Essay Two: The Average Family

If you live with your Mum, Dad, and with your brother or sister. Then use this text to describe your family in your German essay:

Wir sind eine ganz normale Familie. Ich wohne zusammen mit meinen Eltern, meiner kleinen Schwester Lisa und unserer Katze Mick. Meine Großeltern wohnen im gleichen Dorf wie wir. Oma Francis arbeitet noch. Sie ist Krankenschwester. Die Anderen sind schon in Rente. Oma Lydia nimmt sich viel Zeit für mich und geht häufig mit mir Kleider oder Schuhe kaufen. Leider will meine kleine Schwester dann auch immer mit. Mein Vater arbeitet bei einer Bank und fährt am Wochenende gern mit seinem Motorrad. Das findet meine Mutter nicht so gut, da sie meint, dass Motorradfahren so gefährlich ist. Sie sagt, dass ich und meine Schwester auf keinen Fall mitfahren dürfen. Mein Vater versteht das nicht, aber er will sich auch nicht streiten. Nächstes Jahr wollen wir in ein größeres Haus ziehen, weil meine Eltern noch ein Baby bekommen. Ich hoffe, dass wir nicht zu weit weg ziehen, da alle meine Freunde hier in der Nähe wohnen. Meine Tante Clara, die Schwester meiner Mutter, wohnt sogar genau gegenüber. Meine Cousine Barbara kommt deshalb häufig zu Besuch.

We are a very normal family. I live with my parents, my little sister, and our cat Mick. My grandparents live in the same village where we live. Grandma Francis still works. She is a nurse. The others are already retired. Grandma Lydia spends a lot of time with me, and we often go shopping together to look for clothes or shoes. Unfortunately, my little sister wants to come with us as well. My father works in a bank and likes to ride his motorbike on the weekend. My mother does not like that because she thinks it is very dangerous. She says we are never allowed to ride with him on the bike. My father doesn’t understand why, but he doesn’t want to argue with her. Next year, we are going to move into a bigger house because my parents will have another baby. I hope we are not moving too far because all of my friends are here. My aunt Clara even lives opposite to us. Therefore, my cousin Barbara often visits us.

Example Three: A Big Family

If you have a big family, this example may help you with your German essay:

Meine Familie ist sehr groß. Ich habe zwei Schwestern, einen Bruder, drei Tanten, einen Onkel und sechs Cousins. Meine große Schwester hat lange blonde Haare und heißt Laura und eine kleine Schwester heißt Miranda und ist dunkelhaarig. Mein Bruder heißt Fred und trägt eine Brille. Ich verstehe mich gut mit meiner kleinen Schwester und meinem Bruder. Mit meiner großen Schwester streite ich mich oft um den Computer. Mein Vater arbeitet zwar viel, aber am Wochenende hilft er uns immer bei den Hausaufgaben. Meine Mutter backt gerne Torten. Ihre Schokotorten mag ich besonders gerne. In den Ferien besuchen wir häufig meine Großeltern, da sie leider so weit entfernt wohnen. Meine anderen Großeltern, die Eltern meiner Mutter wohnen eine Straße weiter. Das finde ich schön, da wir uns oft sehen können. Außerdem haben sie eine süße Perserkatze, mit der ich immer spiele. Wenn uns meine Cousins besuchen kommen, unternehmen wir meist etwas Besonderes. Letztes Wochenende waren wir alle zusammen im Zoo. Das war lustig, da mein Cousin Ben Angst vor Schlangen hatte. Ich mag meine Familie!

Now, the same story in English:

My family is very big. I have got two sisters, one brother, three aunts, one uncle, and six cousins. My older sister has long blond hair, and her name is Laura. My little sister is called Miranda and has dark hair. My brother’s name is Fred and wears glasses. I get along well with my little sister and my brother. But I argue a lot with my older sister about the computer. Although my father works a lot, he always helps us with homework on the weekend. My mother likes to bake cakes. I especially like her chocolate cake. During the holidays, we often visit my grandparents because they live so far from us. My other grandparents, the parents of my mother, live on the street next to ours. I like that because that way we can see each other a lot. In addition to that, they have a cute Persian cat I always play with. When my cousins visit us, we always do something special together. Last weekend, we went to the zoo together. That was fun because my cousin Ben was afraid of the snake. I like my family!

Read Also:  Learn German Numbers (Deutsche Zählen) and Pronunciation 1 to 999999

Essay Four: A Small Family

If you are living with only one parent, check out this text:

Meine Familie ist sehr klein. Ich lebe zusammen mit meiner Mutter und meinem Bruder. Tanten oder Onkel habe ich nicht. Meinen Vater sehe ich nur in den Sommerferien, da er weit weg wohnt. Meine Oma wohnt gleich nebenan. Sie kūmmert sich nachmittags um mich und meinen Bruder, wenn meine Mutter arbeiten muss. Meine Oma ist schon in Rente. Sie hat frūher mal bei der Post gearbeitet. Mein Opa und meine anderen Großeltern sind leider schon gestorben. Mein Bruder heißt Patrick und ist sehr gut in der Schule. Er ist sehr groß und schlank und hat blonde Locken. Meine Freundin findet ihn sūß. Das verstehe ich gar nicht. Ich mag es aber nicht, wenn er laut Musik hört und es gerade meine Lieblingssendung im Fernsehen gibt. Dafūr geht er immer mit unserem Hund Gassi, so dass ich das nicht tun muss. Ich wūnschte, ich hätte noch eine Schwester, die mir helfen könnte, meine Haare zu frisieren, oder mit der ich die Kleider tauschen könnte. Ich hoffe nur, dass meine Mutter nicht noch mal heiratet.

In English:

My family is very small. I live with my mother and my brother. I have no aunts or uncles. I only see my father during the summer holiday because he lives far away. My grandma lives next door. She looks after me and my brother when my mother has to work. My grandma is already retired. She used to work at a post office. My grandpa and my other grandparents are already dead. My brother’s name is Patrick, and he is doing very well at school. He is very tall and slim and has curly blond hair. My friend thinks he is cute. I cannot understand that at all. But I do not like it when he listens to loud music when my favorite tv show is on. On the other hand, he always walks the dog so that I don’t need to do that. I wish I had a sister who would help me style my hair or who I could swap clothes with. I do hope that my mother is not going to marry again.

Read Also: Easy Sentences you need for Introduce yourself in German

Essay Five: Living with Grandparents

Do you live with your grandparents? Then check out this example if it suits you:

Ich wohne bei meinen Großeltern, da meine Eltern gestorben sind, als ich noch ein Baby war. Wir wohnen in einem großen Haus, und ich habe ein riesiges Zimmer mit meinem eigenen Balkon. Im Sommer mache ich dort immer meine Hausaufgaben. Meine Großeltern sind ganz lieb zu mir. Mein Opa hilft mir immer, mein Fahrrad zu reparieren und meine Oma lädt meine Freunde oft zum Essen ein. Ich habe auch noch einen Onkel, der manchmal am Wochenende vorbeikommt und Architekt ist. Momentan arbeitet er jedoch in Japan für drei Monate. Wir passen solange auf seinen Hund auf, und er hat mir versprochen, mir eine Überraschung aus Japan mitzubringen. Eine Frau hat mein Onkel nicht. Meine Oma sagt immer, er sei mit seiner Arbeit verheiratet. Dann gibt es noch Tante Miriam, die eigentlich keine richtige Tante ist, sondern die beste Freundin meiner Oma. Die beiden kennen sich aber schon so lange, dass sie inzwischen auch zur Familie gehört. Tante Miriam hat viele Enkelkinder und manchmal treffen wir uns alle zusammen im Park. Dann machen wir ein großes Picknick und haben ganz viel Spaß.

And here is what the text is about (Remember, this isn’t a 1-to-1 translation!):

I live with my grandparents because my parents died when I was a baby. We live in a big house, and I have a huge room with my own balcony. In the summertime, I do my homework there. My grandparents are very nice to me. My grandpa always helps me repair my bike, and my grandma often invites my friends for dinner. I also have an uncle who comes around for the weekend from time to time, and he is an architect. At the moment, he is working in Japan for three months, and we are looking after his dog. But he promised me to bring a surprise back from Japan. My uncle has no wife. My grandma always says he is married to his job. Then there is aunt Miriam who is not a real aunt actually but the best friend of my grandma. Since they have known each other for such a long time, she became a member of our family. Aunt Miriam has lots of grandchildren, and sometimes we all meet in the park. Then we have a great picnic and much fun!

If you have any doubt or have some suggestions for us, or even if we missed something to mention in My Family (Meine Familie), Let us know by writing in a comment box. Thanks for reading and sharing with your friends.

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Family in German: 30+ Phrases to Talk About Family in German

Imagine this scenario: You’ve just met someone new, and you want to introduce your family to them. But you don’t know the words in German to talk about your family members. This can make the situation quite awkward and complicated. Don’t worry, though – we’ve got you covered!

Spring German , a project I co-founded, made a great video on how you can speak about your family in German:

In this blog post, we’ll explore essential German vocabulary and phrases to help you talk about your family in German like a native speaker.

1. Learn German phrases about your immediate family in German: Die Familie

When learning a new language like German, one of the first things you’ll need to know is how to talk about your immediate family.

This includes words like “mother,” “father,” “parents,” “siblings,” “brother,” “sister,” “son,” and “daughter.” Knowing these basic German family words will help you get started on your language learning journey.

These words are essential for introducing your immediate family members and talking about your nuclear family in German. Of course, learning the pronunciation of these words is just as important as knowing their meaning, so practice German pronunciation!

2. Talk about extended German family: Oma & Opa

Once you’ve mastered the immediate family vocabulary, it’s time to extend your knowledge to include extended family members.

This is where you’ll learn words like “grandmother,” “grandfather,” “aunt,” “uncle,” and “cousin.”

These terms are important for discussing your larger family tree and family history in German.

Why learn these new words? Well, they come in handy when you’re discussing family gatherings, traditions and heritage. It’s time to share your family stories with your new friends!

3. When someone new comes to family in German: Die Schwiegereltern

Introducing new people to your family can be a huge event. We all know the feeling of having the first interaction with in-laws and stepparents.

In German, there are specific terms for these family members that you’ll want to know. Familiarize yourself with words like “mother-in-law,” “father-in-law,” “son-in-law,” “daughter-in-law,” “stepmother,” and “stepfather” to make communication smooth, even in the most nerve-wracking situations.

Here’s how this could be used in a real-life scenario:

Sarah: Ich bin so aufgeregt, deine Familie heute kennenzulernen! Wie heißen nochmal deine Schwiegereltern? [I’m so excited to meet your family today! What are your in-laws’ names again?] Michael: Meine Schwiegermutter heißt Greta, und mein Schwiegervater ist Walter. [My mother-in-law is named Greta, and my father-in-law is Walter.] Michael: Meine Schwiegermutter wird sehr erfreut sein , dass du die richtigen Begriffe auf Deutsch kennst. Das zeigt Respekt für unsere Familientradition. [My mother-in-law will be very pleased that you know the correct terms in German. It shows respect for our family tradition.] Sarah: Ich habe hart daran gearbeitet, die Verwandtschaftsbezeichnungen zu lernen. Eine glückliche Schwiegermutter ist mir sehr wichtig! [I’ve worked hard to learn the family relationship terms. Having a happy mother-in-law is very important to me!]

4. Verbs and expressions to talk about family in German

In addition to nouns, it’s essential to learn verbs and expressions that will allow you to talk about your family in more detail. These phrases will help you describe relationships, discuss family dynamics, and share anecdotes about your loved ones.

These phrases will help you communicate more effectively about your family in German. They’ll allow you to share personal stories, describe relationships, and express your feelings towards your loved ones.

Let’s take a look at how you can use these expressions in a dialogue:

Anna: Ich habe zwei Brüder. [I have two brothers.] Meine Eltern sind geschieden. [My parents are divorced.] Lena: Oh, das tut mir leid zu hören. Aber wenigstens seid ihr eine große Familie. [Oh, I’m sorry to hear that. But at least you are a big family.] Anna: Ja, genau. Meine Cousine ist auch verheiratet und meine Tante hat drei Kinder. [Yes, exactly. My cousin is also married and my aunt has three children.] Wir sind sehr eng miteinander verbunden. [We are very close to each other.] Lena: Das klingt wunderbar! Mein Opa lebt auf dem Land, daher sehen wir ihn nicht so oft. [That sounds wonderful! My grandfather lives in the countryside, so we don’t see him as often.] Anna: Ja, Familie ist einfach das Wichtigste. Meine Familie ist meine Stärke. [Yes, family is simply the most important thing. My family is my strength.]

5. Good-to-know family phrases in German – Practice Worksheet

Fill in the blanks with the correct German vocabulary based on the context provided.

This isn’t everything we have to offer: click the button to request access to our Full Practice Worksheet Library!

6. Learn how to talk about family history with Conversation Based Chunking

Learning to talk about family in German goes beyond just memorizing vocabulary lists. To master this important part of any language, it’s important to use effective learning techniques like Conversation Based Chunking method.

Conversation Based Chunking involves learning phrases and expressions in their full conversational context, rather than just studying isolated words. This mimics how we naturally learn a language from a young age – by hearing and repeating full expressions used in real-life situations.

When learning to discuss family in German, repeat the common phrases out loud, visualize the family situations they describe, and use them in practice conversations.

As you build up a mental database of these conversational chunks related to family, you’ll start putting them together more fluidly. Talking about your extended family, in-laws, and family histories in German will feel more natural over time.

I have one more tip for you: Don’t be afraid to make mistakes – that’s all part of the language learning process!

Sign up now and get the German Conversation Based Chunking Guide in your inbox!

Lukas is the founder of Effortless Conversations and the creator of the Conversation Based Chunking™ method for learning languages. He's a linguist and wrote a popular book about learning languages through "chunks". He also co-founded the language education company Spring Languages, which creates online language courses and YouTube content.

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Talk About Family in German with 41 Vocabulary Words

Have you ever noticed how often family comes up in conversation? 

Whether you’re learning German for the first time or looking to expand your vocabulary , understanding how to talk about family is essential for everyday conversations. 

Let’s explore how to talk about family in German, from your immediate to your extended family and beyond!

The Importance of Family in German Culture

How to say “family” in german, how to talk about family members in german, immediate family in german, extended family in german, sample sentences for talking about family, and one more thing....

Download: This blog post is available as a convenient and portable PDF that you can take anywhere. Click here to get a copy. (Download)

Family is highly valued in German culture. Germans often maintain strong ties with their immediate and extended families and there’s a strong sense of loyalty and commitment to your family.  

The German social welfare system is also family-oriented, with policies that support families, especially those with children. This includes parental leave, childcare services and financial assistance. German parents are entitled to a whopping three years of parental leave … per child! 

There’s also a strong emphasis on respecting and caring for elders in German families. Grandparents often play an active role in the lives of their grandchildren, providing wisdom and guidance. They’re generally well taken care of by the country  when they need additional care later in life.

While elders are important, the typical German household consists of mother, father and children, with extended relatives and elders generally living on their own. 

Special events and holidays are often celebrated at home with the family. These events bring family members together and are marked by traditions and rituals. 

In fact, spending some down time with the fam is so important to German culture that it’s celebrated by Kaffee und Kuchen , an hour break from a work day to relax over coffee and cake with family (or friends/coworkers). 

The word for “family” in German is Familie and the plural is Familien . 

The word is pretty much synonymous, but just be sure to learn it as a singular word, not plural. Often in English, you’ll hear people say “My family are ” instead of “My family is. ” This doesn’t fly in German—so be sure to always conjugate whatever verb you’re using to the third person singular!

Here are a few examples:

Meine Familie ist groß. — My family is big.

Ich liebe meine Familie. — I love my family.

Wie geht es deiner Familie? — How is your family?

Seine Familie kommt aus Deutschland. — His family is from Germany.

Es gibt viele Familien in dieser Nachbarschaft. — There are many families in this neighborhood.

You just learned a lot of words! How do you actually put them to use? You can start by adapting the sentences below to suit whatever you need to say. 

• Das ist meine Familie. — This is my family. 
• Wir sind eine glückliche Familie. — We are a happy family.
• Ich habe einen Bruder und eine Schwester. — I have a brother and a sister.
• Meine Eltern leben in New York. — My parents live in New York.
• Ich verbringe gerne Zeit mit meinen Kindern. — I love spending time with my children.
• Wie geht es deiner Schwester? — How is your sister? 
• Familie ist das Wichtigste im Leben. — Family is the most important thing in life.
• Meine Großeltern wohnen in einem kleinen Dorf. — My grandparents live in a small village.
• Ich habe viele Cousins und Cousinen. — I have many cousins.
• Wie viele Geschwister hast du? — How many siblings do you have?
• Erzähl mir mehr von deiner Familie. — Tell me more about your family.

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German family words are a breeze to remember, especially as an English speaker.

And remember: We’re all part of the German language learning family! 

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Learn to talk about your immediate, extended or chosen family in German

Marie Schmoll

More than 40 million Americans claim German ancestry , so many of them feel a little bit German even if they don’t actually live in a German-speaking country . If that’s you and you want to explain in German that your great-great-grandfather came from Germany, we’ve got you covered.

Learning how to refer to family members in German is a great way to get started on learning the German language . These are usually some of the very first words we learned to say in our mother tongue, too. That’s why they’re so simple and easy to pronounce. After all, little German babies are just as new to the language as you are. If they can manage to say “Mom” and “Dad” in German, so can you!

Family in German

The German word for family is “ Familie ” [faˈmiːli̯ə] and the plural is “ Familien ” [faˈmiːli̯ən]. Luckily it’s very similar to the English word: Fah-me-lee-eh(/en).

Slang words include “ deine Alten ” (your old ones) for someone’s parents, but this expression has a negative connotation. So unless you’re joking with a friend, be polite and stick to the official terms when you encounter the following scenarios:

• When meeting your German friend’s or partner’s family
• When making German smalltalk by asking someone how their family has been
• When meeting someone new and asking them basic questions about their family situation in German

Interested in your family history?

Immediate family members in german.

In German, the immediate family is called the “ Kernfamilie ” (nuclear or core family). Learning how to describe it is important for basic conversations. That’s why we’ll teach you crucial words like “Mother”, “Father”, “Brother”, “Sister”, “Daughter” and “Son” in German.

Extended family in German

Of course, most families are bigger than that. You might want to talk about your third cousins and your great great grandmother in German, too.

Family members by marriage - Step and in-laws

In Germany, like in America, too, the inlaws have a worse image than they deserve. Even though most people actually do get along with their in-laws, one German expression in particular reflects on the bad rep they get: “ Jemanden stiefmütterlich behandeln ” (to treat someone stepmotherly) means “to neglect or ignore someone”.

Other family-related terms in German

Family is based on so much more than biology. Here are some important terms you can use to explain and introduce your chosen family including adoption and marriage.

Talking about family in day to day situations

When you meet someone new, the first thing you probably want to know is their name . Next up, asking about their family is a great way to get to know them a little bit. You might want to ask if they have siblings or children and chat about your own family situation. So we’ll get you started with the basics.

Common conversation

• Question. Hast du Geschwister? (Do you have siblings?)
• Answer. Ja, ich habe einen großen Bruder und zwei kleine Schwestern. (Yes, I have a big brother and two little sisters.)
• Question. Hast du eine große Familie? (Do you have a big family?)
• Answer. Meine Familie besteht aus meinem Papa, meiner Stiefmama, meinem Bruder Bruno und meiner Katze Fräulein Miez . (My family consists of my dad, my stepmom, my brother Bruno and my cat Fräulein Miez).
• Question. Leben deine Eltern in der Nähe? (Do your parents live close by?)
• Answer. Nein, meine Eltern leben beide in Hamburg und ich lebe in Frankfurt. (No, my parents both live in Hamburg and I live in Frankfurt.)

An easy follow-up question is to ask their sibling’s age (or their puppy’s!). Remember pets absolutely are a part of the family. So don’t forget to incorporate them in the conversation. If you need help remembering what to call your pet in German, refer to our fun guides on animals and birds in German .

• Question. Ist deine Schwester älter oder jünger als du? (Is your sister older or younger than you?)
• Answer. Meine Schwester ist zwei Jahre jünger als ich . (My sister is two years younger than me.)
• Question. Wie alt sind deine Geschwister? (How old are your siblings?)
• Answer. Mein kleiner Bruder ist erst 10. Er geht noch zur Schule. Mein anderer Bruder studiert . (My little brother is only 10. He is still in school. My other brother is in college).
• Question. Wie alt sind deine Haustiere? (How old are your pets?)
• Answer. Mein Welpe ist erst ein Jahr alt, und mein Papagei ist zwei. (My puppy is only one year old, and my parrot is two.)

Describing your family in German

Do you have your mom’s eyes but your dad’s ears? There are many things you can say about your family, all of them great for smalltalk.

• Meine Mutter und mein Vater haben braune Augen, wie ich, aber meine Schwester hat blaue Augen. (My mother and father have brown eyes, like me, but my sister has blue eyes.)
• Ich hab die schwarzen Locken von meinem Vater. Meine Mutter hat rote Haare. (I got my curly black hair from my dad. My mother has red hair.)
• Ich bin mit einem Zwilling verheiratet. (I’m married to a twin.)
• Ich bin adoptiert. (I’m adopted.)
• Ich telefoniere einmal im Monat mit meinen Eltern. (I call my parents once a month.)
• Ich bin ein Katzenmensch, aber mein Freund ist eher ein Hundemensch . (I’m a cat person but my boyfriend is more of a dog person.)

Family-related German idioms

There are some fun idioms and sayings about family members in German. To raise someone literally means “to pull someone tall” ( großziehen ), which, as so many other quirky German expressions , creates a wonderful picture - like you could just grab the child by the head and the feet and start pulling them until they’re tall.

Also, having custody over a child is “the right to worry about them” ( Sorgerecht ) and the big toe is called the “Big uncle” in German ( Großer Onkel ).

Videos to learn how to talk about family in German

Kinderlieder - die hai-familie.

Have you always wanted to listen to the Baby Shark Song in German? Absolutely not?

Well, give it a try anyway because you know how effectively it will get stuck in your head. So when the lyrics are in German, you have no other choice but to learn them, including all the important family related words like “Mama”, “Papa”, “Oma” and “Opa”.

Cultural considerations when it comes to family in German

Marriages are at a record low in Germany - the lowest since World War I.

At the same time, birth rates have been increasing and people still form partnerships and live together. They just tend to not get married.

Maybe Germans are busy enough with the draining bureaucracies of everyday life and don’t want to make their lives even more complicated by adding the paperwork that comes with getting married to their list.

So they stay in committed relationships without getting married, which is how the beautifully long German word “ Lebensabschnittsgefährte ” came to be. A commonly used term, it literally translates to “life section companion” and refers to your current partner.

You may not want to use the word as a pet name, since it’s less romantic than “love of my life” and certainly longer than “bae” but if you think about it, it’s still a positive term.

It entails the idea that even if you may not spend your entire life with one person, they’re your companion for a specific time of your life and that’s very nice to have and acknowledge.

This is a very realistic, down-to-earth view on partnership - you might say a very German one.

Family structures hold societies together and they’re just as important in Germany as they are everywhere else. Yet, sometimes family matters can be a bit of a headache. So try to take an uncomplicated German approach to all things family:

If a relationship ever doesn’t work out, just thank your Lebensabschnittsgefährten that they were there for you during a special time in your life. Then remember that other mothers have pretty sons or daughters, too - and when it comes to raising kids, throw out all the parenting books. Just pull them until they’re tall enough to manage on their own.

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How to talk about your family in German

Here is a complete guide on how to talk about your family in German . Make sure to read this post!

talk about your family in German

Learning a new language has pros and cons, but You can learn a lot from interacting with people.  Are you interested in learning how to talk about your family in German? If so, you’re in luck! While learning German can be a tricky language to master, talking about your family is much easier – and a great way to practice your German.

Whether you’re talking about your parents, siblings, or extended relatives, there are some key German phrases and words you need to know to discuss your family.

In this guide, we’ll take a look at the most common words and phrases you’ll need to use to talk about your family in German.

We’ll look at both formal and informal ways to talk about family members and also provide some tips on how to use these phrases in conversation. So, let’s learn how to talk about your family in German!

Introducing family members

Before getting into the nitty-gritty of describing family relationships, first, introduce the family members that you’ll be talking about.

To do this, you’ll want to know some common German words for describing family members. Here are some of the most common family terms and words used in German:

– Mutter (mother) – Vater (father) – Tochter (daughter) – Sohn (son) – Schwester (sister) – Bruder (brother) – Grossmutter (grandmother) – Grossvater (grandfather) – Oma (grandma) – Opa (grandpa) – Ur-Urgroßmutter (great-great-grandmother) – Ur-Urgroßvater (great-great-grandfather)

Using formal and informal language when talking about family

As with many other topics, the language you use when discussing family members in German can depend on whom you’re talking to.

You can use informal language if you’re talking to your family members (or a close friend). However, if you’re speaking with someone who’s older or of a higher social standing than you are, then formal German is the way to go.

Generally, you’ll want to use formal language when discussing family members in German if you’re discussing them with someone older than you or someone you don’t know well.

But it’s also a good idea to practice using both formal and informal language so that you don’t offend anyone unintentionally. To practice, you can write a letter to a family member you know well or write a letter to someone older than you don’t know.

This will help you get a feel for both types of language and how they’re used and make it easier to use in conversation.

Describing relationships between family members

The first thing you’ll want to know when discussing your family in German is how to describe the relationships between the family members.

There are a few key things to keep in mind here. While some of the phrasings below may sound familiar, there are a few subtle but important differences between the German and English versions.

Here are some of the most common ways to describe your family members in German: – Mutter – Vater – Tochter – Sohn – Schwester – Bruder – Grossmutter – Grossvater – Oma – Opa.

Describing extended family

Now that you know how to talk about your immediate family members, you may also find yourself discussing extended family members at some point in time.

For example, suppose you’re speaking with a friend who has been adopted and is curious about their biological family. In that case, you’ll want to know some keywords for extended family members.

Here are some of the most common words for extended family members.

– Ur-Urgroßmutter – Ur-Urgroßvater – Urgroßmutter – Urgroßvater – Urgroßmutter – Urgroßvater – Großmutter – Großvater – Urenkel – Urenkelin – Urenkel – Urenkelin – Ur-Urgroßmutter – Ur-Urgroßvater – Urgroßmutter – Urgroßvater – Ur-Urgroßmutter – Ur-Urgroßvater – Großmutter – Großvater.

Talking about family activities

Family activities are a great way to practice the language you’ve learned so far and to use it in a meaningful way. Here are some of the most common family activities that you can use to practice your German and talk about your family.

– Wir essen zusammen – Wenn wir zusammen essen – Wir gehen zusammen spazieren – Wenn wir zusammen spazieren gehen – Wir sitzen zusammen – Wenn wir zusammen sitzen – Wir spielen zusammen – Wenn wir zusammen spielen – Wir lesen zusammen.

– Wenn wir zusammen lesen – Wir schauen uns zusammen einen Film an – Wenn wir zusammen einen Film anschauen – Wir machen zusammen Hausaufgaben – Wenn wir zusammen Hausaufgaben machen – Wir sprechen zusammen – Wenn wir zusammen reden.

– Wir tragen zusammen ab – Wenn wir zusammen abtragen – Wir kochen zusammen – Wenn wir zusammen kochen – Wir helfen zusammen – Wenn wir zusammen helfen.

– Wir spielen zusammen – Wenn wir zusammen spielen – Wir schlafen zusammen – Wenn wir zusammen schlafen – Wir lesen zusammen – Wenn wir zusammen lesen.

– Wir reden zusammen – Wenn wir zusammen reden – Wir tragen zusammen ab – Wenn wir zusammen abtragen – Wir helfen zusammen – Wenn wir zusammen helfen.

Expressing feelings and opinions about family

Now that you know how to describe your family members and the relationships between them, you may also want to practice talking about how you feel and what you think about your family members.

Here are some key words and phrases you can use to do this.

– Ich habe eine gute Beziehung zu meinen Verwandten – Ich habe eine gute Beziehung zu meinen Eltern – Ich bin glücklich mit meinem Familienleben – Meine Eltern sind sehr nett.

– Meine Eltern sind sehr nett und liebevoll – Meine Eltern sind alt – Meine Eltern sind alt und sehr nett – Meine Eltern sind alt und liebevoll – Meine Eltern sind sehr alt – Meine Eltern sind alt und sehr nett.

– Meine Eltern sind alt und liebevoll – Meine Eltern sind sehr alt und sehr nett – Meine Eltern sind alt und liebevoll – Meine Eltern sind sehr alt und liebevoll.

– Meine Eltern sind alt und sehr nett und liebevoll – Meine Eltern sind alt und liebevoll – Meine Eltern sind alt und sehr nett – Meine Eltern sind alt und liebevoll und sehr nett.

– Meine Eltern sind alt und liebevoll und sehr nett – Meine Eltern sind alt und liebevoll und sehr nett – Meine Eltern sind alt und liebevoll und sehr nett und glücklich.

– Meine Eltern sind alt und liebevoll und glücklich – Meine Eltern sind alt und liebevoll und glücklich und egal – Meine Eltern sind alt und liebevoll und sehr nett und egal.

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How to talk about family in German

by Anne Walther

Published on February 16, 2023 / Updated on January 3, 2024

Making small talk is essential for learning a new language and integrating into a new country. And there’s no better way to get to know others and understand a country’s culture than by talking about family. Talking about your family in German will not only help you practice your language skills. It will also teach you about an important aspect of German culture . 

From immediate relatives to step siblings and everything in between, there are many German words to describe different familial relations. But don’t worry — we have you covered! With the lists below, you can get a head start on learning and memorizing the most important German vocabulary about family.

Immediate family

Extended family, other family or household members, marital status, other words to talk about family, learn languages at your pace.

Immediate family members include the people you’re immediately related to — for example, your parents and siblings. Unlike in some other cultures, Germans typically only live together with their immediate family, rather than with a large group of extended family members.

Of course, your family can also include extended family, such as your grandparents or in-laws. German naturally has words for these relations, as well. Notice that, as with parents, there are both formal and informal names for grandparents. 

The definition of “family” continues to expand, in Germany as well as in other cultures. With this in mind, there may be other people who are considered family in German, such as step-siblings or life partners. 

To help with your memorization, notice that many of these words share a similar prefix. Learning these common prefixes can come in handy whether you’re describing a life partner (prefix: Lebens- ) or a step relation (prefix: Stief- ). 

Especially when applying for a visa, changing tax classes or signing up for social benefits, you may need to specify your marital status. You may also need to describe which members of your family live in your household. Here’s a list of some key nouns and adjectives to get you started. 

Now that you can name all the family members and describe their various relations, it may help to learn some typical questions to ask about the family. The following questions and answers can get you a long way in making conversation.

In times of test, family is best

When you’re moving or even just traveling abroad, you may find yourself missing your family a lot. In moments like these, sharing memories about your loved ones with new friends can help you cope. It doesn’t hurt that it also helps with practicing German. Whether you’re talking about immediate or extended family, you’ll have plenty to speak about with these vocabulary lists. Study up, and you’ll be fluent in German in no time!

Anne Walther

Anne is a German freelance writer and communication consultant. In addition to her job, she is founder and coach of the Dutch non-for-profit organization CLUB Coaching. Due to her work, she resides in both Germany and the Netherlands. Whenever her time is not occupied with communication in all its forms, she spends time with her six pets, gardening or being creative with fashion and design. You can follow her on LinkedIn .

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How to Speak About the Family in German

• History & Culture
• Pronunciation & Conversation

Learning how to ask about someone's name or inquire about the family in German is a great way to get to know people. Even if you just want to learn to make small talk, these kinds of questions will come up in most conversations. It's important to remember that rules for addressing people in German tend to be stricter than in many other cultures, so learning the proper rules will help prevent you from being unintentionally rude. Below are some common questions and answers in German and English. 

Die Familie  •  The Family Continued

YOU: du - Sie

As you study the vocabulary for this lesson, pay attention to the difference between asking a formal ( Sie ) and a familiar ( du / ihr ) question. German-speakers tend to be much more formal than English-speakers. While Americans, in particular, may use first names with people they have just met or only know casually, German-speakers do not.

When a German-speaker is asked his or her name, the reply will be the last or family name, not the first name. The more formal question,  Wie ist Ihr Name? , as well as the standard  Wie heißen Sie? , should be understood as "what is your LAST name?"

Naturally, within the family and among good friends, the familiar "you" pronouns  du  and  ihr  are used, and people are on a first-name basis. But when in doubt, you should always err on the side of being too formal, rather than too familiar. 

For more about this important cultural difference, see this article:  You and thou,  Sie und du . The article includes a self-scoring quiz on the use of  Sie und du .

Kleine Familien

Families in German-speaking countries tend to be small, with only one or two children (or no children). The birthrate in Austria, Germany, and Switzerland is lower than in many modern industrialized nations, with fewer births than deaths, i.e., less than zero population growth.

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• Top German Mistakes Made by Beginners
• German Verbs with Prepositions 1 - German Lesson
• Capitalization in German
• German for Beginners: Study Tips
• Formal and Informal German Greetings
• How to Say Thank You and You're Welcome in German
• Translating the Terms for "People" in German
• Doch ...and Other Tricky German Words
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Learn to Say “Father” in German and More

Imagine that you’re traveling to good old Germany , and you want the real experience (not just staying in a hotel or hostel like everyone else). Well, this is fair enough, and we definitely encourage going for the full Germany experience. But first, you’ll need to know some basic family terms, like how to say “father” in German.

Why is it so important to know the words for family members in German? Imagine the following situation:

You arrive at your freshly booked Airbnb, and your host welcomes you with a nice dinner. But there’s one hitch: you find yourself eating with his parents, some friends, his cousin, and his grandmother, too. Your host starts to introduce everyone, pointing to each person as he states their name:

Ich möchte dich meinen Eltern vorstellen. Das sind mein Papa und meine Mutter. Und dort sitzt meine Großmutter und mein Cousin.

Despite your host’s best efforts to familiarize you with his family, you actually find yourself more confused about who’s who. Oh no!

While learning things like family member terms in German first-hand is always a great idea, you may be more comfortable studying up on this before your trip. After all, when it comes to family in German, words like the one in our example are going to come up all the time, so you should prepare using German lessons about family like this one!

GermanPod101 has prepared a guide just for you, covering vocabulary terms for any family member you may find yourself introduced to! Going through this guide, you can work on your language skills beforehand, so that you can make the most of your first-hand learning experiences in Germany. So let’s get started!

Table of Contents

• Family in German – Die Familie
• List of Closest Family Members + Basic Sentence Patterns
• More Family and Endearment Terms
• How to Talk about Family
• Cultural Insights in a German Family
• How GermanPod101 Can Help You Learn about Family in German

1. Family in German – Die Familie

Familie is the German word for “family.” As you can see, the word is more similar to English than you thought. Might this be because German families aren’t so different from those in the U.S. or other countries? Let’s take a look.

When you look over the demographics of Germany , you can clearly see that we are a dying nation. This means that every year, more people die than are being born, and our average age is getting older and older from year to year. (This is, of course, not exclusive to Germany, and is also happening in other first-world countries.)

I want to give you a short example of the above statistics using my family history. My grandmother was one of six children in her family at the end of the Second World War, and this was considered a normal-sized family. Now, my mom and dad are both one of three children. And today, there’s just me and my sister. From each of my uncles and aunties, I have between zero and three cousins.

Do you see what I mean? German families have become much smaller over the last seventy-eighty years. Today, people tend to think first about their lives and careers, and secondly about kids and family.

Families are the most important reference point for a child until the end of his or her time in college. But for many people, the end of college also represents a diminishing significance for their parents’ home. Keep in mind that I don’t want to say German kids don’t love their parents. Of course they do.

The family is, and will always be, important in Germany, so learn about it and adapt to it!

2. List of Closest Family Members + Basic Sentence Patterns

1- General Terms for German Immediate Family

We created an overview of the most important family in German vocabulary words, such as your siblings, parents, and grandparents. The German is on the left, and the English equivalent is on the right.

To help you out with some basic words and the pronunciation for family member terms, we created a free lesson in our free-of-charge course. With enough practice, you’ll be able to talk about your parents and siblings in German like it’s nothing!

2- Talking about Family Members

There are usually three situations when talking about family:

• You’re trying to talk about your family
• You’re talking about someone else’s family members
• You’re asking someone about their family

That means you need to describe who’s family you’re talking or inquiring about. This is done with possessives.

Similar to “my,” “yours,” “his” in English, in Germany we use meine, deine , and seine . To prepare you for the upcoming challenges associated with each of the situations outlined above, we’ve provided you with some basic questions and answers.

Take a close look at how we used the possessive pronouns. They always have to be adapted to the person you’re talking about.

3. More Family and Endearment Terms

1- German Extended Family

Everybody has family members outside of their immediate family. Below, we give you some family member terms that you’ll face every day while living with a German family. We won’t go into too much detail, as the half-sister of your siblings’ aunt isn’t really interesting anymore.

This doesn’t seem too hard to understand, does it? With all of the terms we’ve gone over so far, you’re almost ready to talk about your family in various contexts. There are some more things we’ll cover in the next chapters, but what we have so far are the closest family members.

2- Endearment Terms

Families are cute, and you can always hear little grandsons or granddaughters calling their grandparents “granny” or “grandpa.” Those are just a couple examples of so-called endearment terms , and of course we have them in Germany as well.

We’ll show you two quick ways to create endearment terms, and give you some examples. Before we go on, we want to let you know that this doesn’t work with all family members the same way.

1. Adding an i

The first way to create endearment terms in Germany is to cut the last letter(s) of the term, and replace it with the letter i . It’s no mistake that we mentioned it can be the last letter or letters . When the term ends with a vowel, you replace only the last letter. In any other case, you need to replace the last two letters.

Here are some examples:

Mama -> Mami “mother” -> “mom/mommy”

Mutter -> Mutti “mother” -> “mom”

Papa -> Papi “father” -> “daddy”

Vater -> Vati “father” -> “dad”

Opa -> Opi “grandmother” -> “granny”

Oma -> Omi “grandfather” -> “grandpa”

But there are also examples where it doesn’t work, such as:

Onkel -> Onki Tante -> Tanti Großmutter -> Großmutti (theoretically this works, but you’re never going to use this)

2. Adding chen to the end of the word

This might be the better-known form for any German learner. This one is a bit trickier and has some special rules. The basic rule is that you just add chen after each term. But be aware that when doing this, in some cases, if the word ends with a vowel, you have to cut this vowel before adding the chen . Or, if the word has a vowel in-between, you change it to ü , ö , or ä (instead of u, o, a).

Good examples are:

Großmutter -> Großmütterchen (grandmother -> grandma) Onkel -> Onkelchen Tante -> Tantchen (aunt -> auntie) Cousine -> Cousinchen

As you can see, sometimes there’s not even a proper English translation for the endearment term you can create in German. The good thing about this way of creating endearment terms is that you can use it with almost everything, and you’re not limited to people or family members. Take a look at these examples:

Bierchen from the word Bier (beer) Tischchen from the word Tisch (table) Tässchen from the word Tasse (cup)

4. How to Talk about Family

It’s quite easy to introduce your family to another person in German. Let’s imagine ourselves sitting around a large table, where all the family is eating together, and a friend of yours arrives for the first time. You both stand in front of the table.

5. Cultural Insights in a German Family

The family is, for most Germans, one of the fundamental aspects of their lives. The family is an important part of every German . Children usually grow up close to their grandparents (who sometimes take care of their grandchildren when the parents are at work). Further, trust is a big thing for German families. But even with this strong bond, Germans are moving out of their parents’ home quite early to study, work, and become financially independent.

We’ve already mentioned that most German families are fairly small compared to those in other countries. Family size strongly depends on where you live, though. For instance, in the countryside, it’s normal for multiple generations to live on a big farm together, or even more than one family from one generation.

So it can be possible to find houses with up to ten people in the more rural areas, but even there, everybody has their own space and flat. You can live there with your parents, your grandparents, and maybe even your uncle’s family.

In the city, the situation is typically different, and families don’t live together. Everybody has their own flat or house, and don’t see each other in daily life.

Traditionally, the man is the head of the family. But let’s face it: this isn’t really how it works anymore. Women enjoy the same rights as men , and all decisions are made as a couple, or even among the entire family including children.

In the old days, it was common for people to get married after living together for a while. Now, you can find couples that stay together their whole lives and never get married. But trends are now coming back to the traditional way.

For some more information about German culture , we’ve prepared another lesson for you.

6. How GermanPod101 Can Help You Learn about Family in German

We hope that you got some helpful insight from our article about families in Germany, such as how to talk about family members. You now know a little bit about the typical family situation in Germany today, and how people are organizing their daily lives.

You should be able to talk about your immediate and extended family, introduce them to others, and talk to someone about them.

If you want to really boost your German skills, then we recommend our private teacher program which focuses on your personal goals based on your current level.

But we won’t leave you without making a quick gift to you. We have free-of-charge courses on GermanPod101.com for learners of every level:

• Intermediate

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