Language/German/Vocabulary/Family-Members
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In this lesson, you will learn how to give and ask for information about family members in German. Family is an important aspect of German culture, and knowing the vocabulary related to family members will help you communicate and build relationships with native German speakers. By the end of this lesson, you will be able to confidently talk about your family and understand when others talk about theirs.
Immediate Family[edit | edit source]
Let's start by learning the vocabulary for immediate family members. These are the people who are most closely related to you.
Parents[edit | edit source]
In German, the word for father is "Vater" and the word for mother is "Mutter". Here is how you pronounce them:
German | Pronunciation | English |
---|---|---|
Vater | [ˈfaːtɐ] | father |
Mutter | [ˈmʊtɐ] | mother |
You can use these words to refer to your own parents or someone else's parents.
Siblings[edit | edit source]
In German, the word for brother is "Bruder" and the word for sister is "Schwester". Here is how you pronounce them:
German | Pronunciation | English |
---|---|---|
Bruder | [ˈbʁuːdɐ] | brother |
Schwester | [ˈʃvɛstɐ] | sister |
You can use these words to talk about your own siblings or someone else's siblings.
Children[edit | edit source]
In German, the word for son is "Sohn" and the word for daughter is "Tochter". Here is how you pronounce them:
German | Pronunciation | English |
---|---|---|
Sohn | [zoːn] | son |
Tochter | [ˈtɔxtɐ] | daughter |
You can use these words to talk about your own children or someone else's children.
Grandparents[edit | edit source]
In German, the word for grandfather is "Großvater" and the word for grandmother is "Großmutter". Here is how you pronounce them:
German | Pronunciation | English |
---|---|---|
Großvater | [ˈɡroːsˌfaːtɐ] | grandfather |
Großmutter | [ˈɡroːsˌmʊtɐ] | grandmother |
You can use these words to talk about your own grandparents or someone else's grandparents.
Extended Family[edit | edit source]
Now let's move on to the vocabulary for extended family members. These are the people who are related to you but not as closely as your immediate family.
Aunts and Uncles[edit | edit source]
In German, the word for aunt is "Tante" and the word for uncle is "Onkel". Here is how you pronounce them:
German | Pronunciation | English |
---|---|---|
Tante | [ˈtantə] | aunt |
Onkel | [ˈɔŋkl̩] | uncle |
You can use these words to talk about your own aunts and uncles or someone else's aunts and uncles.
Cousins[edit | edit source]
In German, the word for male cousin is "Cousin" and the word for female cousin is "Cousine". Here is how you pronounce them:
German | Pronunciation | English |
---|---|---|
Cousin | [kuˈziːn] | male cousin |
Cousine | [kuˈziːnə] | female cousin |
You can use these words to talk about your own cousins or someone else's cousins.
Nieces and Nephews[edit | edit source]
In German, the word for niece is "Nichte" and the word for nephew is "Neffe". Here is how you pronounce them:
German | Pronunciation | English |
---|---|---|
Nichte | [ˈnɪçtə] | niece |
Neffe | [ˈnɛfə] | nephew |
You can use these words to talk about your own nieces and nephews or someone else's nieces and nephews.
In-laws[edit | edit source]
In German, the word for father-in-law is "Schwiegervater" and the word for mother-in-law is "Schwiegermutter". Here is how you pronounce them:
German | Pronunciation | English |
---|---|---|
Schwiegervater | [ˈʃviːɡɐˌfaːtɐ] | father-in-law |
Schwiegermutter | [ˈʃviːɡɐˌmʊtɐ] | mother-in-law |
You can use these words to talk about your own in-laws or someone else's in-laws.
Asking and Answering Questions[edit | edit source]
Now that you know the vocabulary for family members, let's practice asking and answering questions about them.
Asking Questions[edit | edit source]
To ask someone about their family members, you can use the following question structure:
"Who is your [family member]?"
For example, to ask someone about their father, you can say:
"Who is your father?"
In German, this question would be:
"Wer ist dein Vater?"
You can replace "Vater" with any other family member to ask about someone's mother, brother, sister, etc.
Answering Questions[edit | edit source]
To answer questions about your family members, you can use the following structure:
"My [family member] is [name]."
For example, to talk about your sister, you can say:
"My sister is Anna."
In German, this sentence would be:
"Meine Schwester ist Anna."
You can replace "Schwester" with any other family member to talk about your mother, father, brother, etc.
To ask someone about their family members, you can use the same question structure:
"Who is your [family member]?"
For example, to ask someone about their father, you can say:
"Who is your father?"
In German, this question would be:
"Wer ist dein Vater?"
You can replace "Vater" with any other family member to ask about someone's mother, brother, sister, etc.
Now it's time to practice asking and answering questions about family members. Use the vocabulary you've learned to have conversations with your classmates or practice with a native German speaker.
Conclusion[edit | edit source]
Congratulations! You have learned how to give and ask for information about family members in German. This knowledge will help you communicate and connect with native German speakers on a personal level. Keep practicing and using these vocabulary words in your conversations to reinforce your learning. In the next lesson, we will focus on talking about your friends, their personalities, and hobbies in German.
Videos[edit | edit source]
Family members in German - YouTube[edit | edit source]
Learn German - vocabulary lessons A1 - Family members - YouTube[edit | edit source]
How to call family members and relatives in German - YouTube[edit | edit source]
Learn German Family Members Names: Basic German Vocabulary ...[edit | edit source]
Introducing family members in German - CBG 1.05 - YouTube[edit | edit source]
Sources[edit | edit source]
- German Family Vocabulary with Pronunciation - ielanguages.com
- Family members - Me - GCSE German Revision - BBC Bitesize
- Learn How to Talk About Your Family in German
Other Lessons[edit | edit source]
- Months of the Year
- Fruits
- English German False Cognates
- Family
- Introducing
- Food and Meals
- Animal
- longest word
- Numbers
- Idiomatic Expressions
◀️ Separable Verbs — Previous Lesson | Next Lesson — Talking About Your Friends ▶️ |