Language/French/Vocabulary/Family-Members
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Learning the French vocabulary related to family members is important for students learning the language, as it helps them to have basic conversations about themselves and others. In this lesson, we will go through the different family members and their names in French, as well as some interesting cultural facts.
Finish this lesson and explore these related pages: How to write "œ" on the AZERTY keyboard & When use Mets, Met, Mes or Mais in French.
Immediate Family Members[edit | edit source]
The following are the most common immediate family members in French:
French | Pronunciation | English Translation |
---|---|---|
La famille | lah fam-e-ee | Family |
Le père | luh pair | Father |
La mère | lah mehr | Mother |
Le fils | luh feess | Son |
La fille | lah fee | Daughter |
Le frère | luh frair | Brother |
La sœur | lah seur | Sister |
- When talking about the singular form of la famille, le père, and la mère, we use the definite article 'le' or 'la' which corresponds to 'the' in English.
- The term 'monsieur' (Mr.) refers to the title or name of someone, while 'papa' and 'maman' are used to address or call someone directly (similar to 'daddy' and 'mommy').
Extended Family Members[edit | edit source]
In addition to immediate family members, there are also extended family members:
French | Pronunciation | English Translation |
---|---|---|
Le grand-père | luh grahn-pehr | Grandfather |
La grand-mère | lah grahn-mehr | Grandmother |
Le petit-fils | luh peh-tee-feess | Grandson |
La petite-fille | lah peh-tee-fee | Granddaughter |
L'oncle | lonk-leu | Uncle |
La tante | lah tont | Aunt |
Le neveu | luh nuh-vuh | Nephew |
La nièce | lah nee-ess | Niece |
Le cousin | luh koo-zan | Cousin (male) |
La cousine | lah koo-zeen | Cousin (female) |
- In French, the word 'cousin' can refer to both male and female cousins.
- Unlike the English language, there is no distinction between maternal and paternal grandparents or aunts and uncles.
- The French phrase for 'my aunt' or 'my uncle' is 'ma tante' or 'mon oncle'. They use the masculine 'mon' before masculine words and the feminine 'ma' before feminine words.
Cultural Facts[edit | edit source]
- The French often refer to their family members using affectionate names such as 'mon petit chou' (my little cabbage) for their partner or 'ma puce' (my flea) for their child.
- Family is an important part of French culture, and Sunday lunch with grandparents and extended relatives is a traditional ritual.
- The French have a saying 'Les amis sont la famille que l'on choisit' (Friends are the family we choose), highlighting the importance of friendships in French culture.
Practice[edit | edit source]
Practice the vocabulary with the following exercises:
Exercise 1: Matching[edit | edit source]
Match the family member name in French with the correct translation in English.
French | English |
---|---|
La famille | A. Sister |
Le père | B. Cousin (female) |
La mère | C. Grandmother |
La fille | D. Brother |
La sœur | E. Son |
La grand-mère | F. Father |
Answers: A- Family; B - Aunt; C - Mother; D - Brother; E - Daughter; F - Grandmother
Exercise 2: Fill in the Blanks[edit | edit source]
Fill in the blanks with the appropriate French family member word:
- Le ____________________ est le mari de ma tante.
- Mon fils a deux ____________________ et une ____________________.
- Ma nièce est la ____________________ de ma sœur.
Answers: 1 - oncle; 2 - sœurs, fille; 3 - filleule
Sources[edit | edit source]
- <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/French_vocabulary#Family" target="_blank">French vocabulary - Family</a>
- <a href="https://www.babbel.com/en/magazine/french-family-vocabulary-terms" target="_blank">French Family Vocabulary: Terms for Immediate and Extended Family Members</a>
Videos[edit | edit source]
Family Words in French Part 1 (basic French vocabulary from Learn ...[edit | edit source]
French Lesson 23 - Learn French Family Members Vocabulary - Les ...[edit | edit source]
Vocabulary & Intro to French Family Members - YouTube[edit | edit source]
Family members in French - YouTube[edit | edit source]
Learn French FAMILY MEMBERS Vocabulary - YouTube[edit | edit source]
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Sources[edit | edit source]
- Family In French: 50+Vocabulary Words For Your "Famille"
- French Family Vocabulary - Lawless French - La Famille
- 60 French Family Terms & Expressions
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