Immediate family
children
nounWir haben drei Kinder.
We have three children.
husband
nounMein Ehemann kommt aus Österreich.
My husband is from Austria.
baby
nounDas Baby schläft gerade.
The baby is sleeping right now.
Extended family
uncle
nounOnkel Klaus bringt immer Schokolade mit.
Uncle Klaus always brings chocolate.
niece
nounMeine Nichte mag Bücher sehr gerne.
My niece loves books.
brother-in-law
nounsister-in-law
noungrandchild
nounDie Großmutter liebt ihr Enkelkind.
The grandmother loves her grandchild.
Relationships
engaged
adjSie sind seit drei Monaten verlobt.
They have been engaged for three months.
widowed
adjLife events
birth
nounNach der Geburt des Kindes war sie sehr müde.
After the birth of the child, she was very tired.
marriage (act of marrying)
nounHochzeit = wedding day; Heirat = the act of getting married; Ehe = the marriage (state)
baptism / christening
nounfuneral
nounfamily celebration
nounanniversary
nounSie feiern ihr 25. Jubiläum.
They are celebrating their 25th anniversary.
Useful adjectives
younger
adjMein jüngerer Bruder ist 20.
My younger brother is 20.
older
adjMeine ältere Schwester ist Lehrerin.
My older sister is a teacher.
single-parent
adjSie ist alleinerziehende Mutter.
She is a single mother.
adopted
adjUseful phrases
She is my sister.
phraseWe are a large family.
phrasemy mother-in-law
phraseSchwieger- prefix = in-law: Schwiegervater, Schwiegersohn, Schwiegertochter
the youngest of three
phrasean only child
phraseIch bin ein Einzelkind.
I am an only child.
In context
Introducing your family
Das ist mein Mann Klaus und unsere Tochter Lena. Wir haben noch einen Sohn, aber er wohnt in Hamburg. Meine Eltern besuchen uns nächste Woche.
Describing a wedding
Meine Schwester heiratet im Sommer. Die Hochzeit findet in München statt. Wir sind die ganze Familie eingeladen — Großeltern, Tanten, Onkel, Cousinen.
Talking about family visits
Zu Weihnachten kommen meine Großeltern zu Besuch. Mein Bruder bringt seine Freundin mit. Es wird eine große Familienfeier mit über zwanzig Personen.
Practice this vocabulary in context
Seeing words here is a start. To actually remember them, use spaced repetition in our A1 course.
Frequently asked questions
"Mein Freund" can mean either "my (male) friend" or "my boyfriend" — Germans understand from context. Same for "meine Freundin" (female friend or girlfriend). If you want to be unambiguous, use "mein Freund / meine Freundin" for romantic partner, or add context like "wir sind zusammen" (we're together).
German in-laws have specific terms: Schwiegermutter (mother-in-law), Schwiegervater (father-in-law), Schwiegersohn (son-in-law), Schwiegertochter (daughter-in-law), Schwager (brother-in-law), Schwägerin (sister-in-law). The Schwieger- prefix is the key to unlocking them all.
Family vocabulary is A1 territory — it comes up in the very first Goethe A1 exam task. You'll be asked to introduce yourself and your family in basic written and spoken tasks. Start here before anything else, since family words appear in almost every social interaction.