Spanish Family Vocabulary: 60+ Words With a Full Chart

Family vocabulary in Spanish (la familia) starts with the core pairs: madre / padre (mother / father), hijo / hija (son / daughter), hermano / hermana (brother / sister), and abuelo / abuela (grandfather / grandmother). Nearly every family word comes in a masculine form ending in -o and a feminine form ending in -a, so once you learn one, you usually get the other for free.

Family is at the heart of Mexican culture, so these are among the most useful words you can learn. Below you’ll find a complete chart covering immediate family, extended relatives, in-laws, and the affectionate everyday terms Mexicans actually use at home.

The Core: Immediate Family

These are the words you’ll use most. Notice the tidy -o / -a pattern.

Spanish (m.)	Spanish (f.)	English
padre	madre	father / mother
papá	mamá	dad / mom
hijo	hija	son / daughter
hermano	hermana	brother / sister
abuelo	abuela	grandfather / grandmother
nieto	nieta	grandson / granddaughter
esposo	esposa	husband / wife

A couple of everyday notes:

• papá / mamá are the warm, casual words (like “dad” and “mom”), while padre / madre are slightly more formal. In Mexican homes you’ll hear papá and mamá constantly.
• Watch the accents: papá (dad) versus papa (potato), and mamá (mom) versus mama (a verb form). That little accent is the whole difference — a classic source of accidental comedy.

Extended Family

Beyond the household, the vocabulary keeps its predictable pattern.

Spanish (m.)	Spanish (f.)	English
tío	tía	uncle / aunt
primo	prima	male cousin / female cousin
sobrino	sobrina	nephew / niece
bisabuelo	bisabuela	great-grandfather / great-grandmother
bisnieto	bisnieta	great-grandson / great-granddaughter

The prefix bis- simply means “great-” — so bisabuela is your great-grandmother. Easy once you spot the pattern.

In-Laws (Los Suegros)

In-laws break the neat -o / -a rule a little, so these are worth memorizing on their own.

Spanish	English
suegro / suegra	father-in-law / mother-in-law
yerno	son-in-law
nuera	daughter-in-law
cuñado / cuñada	brother-in-law / sister-in-law
concuño / concuña	your spouse’s sibling’s spouse

Note that yerno and nuera are irregular — they don’t follow the -o / -a pattern, so they need a little extra attention. Collectively, your in-laws are los suegros.

Step-Family and Half-Relatives

Modern families need modern words, and Spanish has them.

Spanish	English
padrastro	stepfather
madrastra	stepmother
hijastro / hijastra	stepson / stepdaughter
hermanastro / hermanastra	stepbrother / stepsister
medio hermano / media hermana	half-brother / half-sister

The suffix -astro / -astra signals a step-relationship. And godparents matter enormously in Mexican culture:

• padrino — godfather
• madrina — godmother
• ahijado / ahijada — godson / goddaughter
• compadre / comadre — the relationship between your child’s parents and their godparents (a genuinely important bond in Mexico, often used affectionately between close friends too)

Making Words Plural (Including the Mixed-Group Rule)

Spanish has one charming quirk: the masculine plural covers mixed groups. So:

• los hijos = the sons, or the children (sons and daughters together)
• los padres = the fathers, or the parents (mother and father)
• los abuelos = the grandfathers, or the grandparents
• los tíos = the uncles, or the aunts and uncles
• los hermanos = the brothers, or the siblings

So if someone says “Voy a visitar a mis abuelos” (I’m going to visit my grandparents), they almost certainly mean both grandma and grandpa, not two grandfathers.

Mexican Terms of Affection

Here’s where the language gets its warmth. Mexicans rarely stop at the plain words — everyday speech is full of affectionate nicknames.

• mami / papi — sweet, casual versions of mom and dad (also used affectionately with partners and kids).
• abuelito / abuelita — grandpa / grandma with the -ito / -ita diminutive, which adds tenderness. Mexicans adore diminutives.
• mijo / mija — a contraction of mi hijo / mi hija (“my son/my daughter”), used lovingly toward children, and even toward friends or strangers as a warm “sweetie” or “dear.”
• carnal — Mexican slang for “brother,” but in the sense of a very close friend (“bro”).

You’ll hear an abuelita call a grandchild mijo with a warmth that no textbook can quite capture. Sprinkling in diminutives like -ito / -ita is one of the fastest ways to sound genuinely Mexican.

Useful Family Phrases

Put the vocabulary to work:

• Esta es mi familia. (This is my family.)
• Tengo dos hermanos y una hermana. (I have two brothers and one sister.)
• Mi mamá se llama Rosa. (My mom’s name is Rosa.)
• ¿Cuántos primos tienes? (How many cousins do you have?)
• Vivo con mis abuelos. (I live with my grandparents.)
• Te presento a mi esposo. (Let me introduce you to my husband.)

Common Mistakes to Avoid

Confusing padres with “priests.” Padres means “parents,” but padre singular can also mean “priest” (or, in Mexican slang, “cool” — ¡Qué padre! means “how cool!”). Context sorts it out.

Forgetting the accent on papá / mamá. Papá is dad; papa is potato. Mamá is mom; mama is a verb. The accent is essential.

Assuming every word follows -o / -a. Most do, but yerno, nuera, and a few others don’t. Memorize the exceptions.

Over-literal in-law translations. There’s no single word for “in-law” as a category — you name the specific relative (suegra, cuñado, etc.). And los suegros means “the in-laws” collectively.

FAQ

How do you say “family” in Spanish?

La familia. It’s a feminine noun, so it takes la. “My family” is mi familia, and “family members” are los miembros de la familia or simply los familiares.

What’s the difference between “padre” and “papá”?

Papá is the warm, everyday word for “dad,” while padre is slightly more formal for “father.” In casual Mexican speech, papá and mamá dominate at home. Careful with the accent — papá (dad) is not the same as papa (potato).

Why does “los hermanos” mean both “brothers” and “siblings”?

Spanish uses the masculine plural to cover mixed-gender groups. So los hermanos means “the brothers” when the group is all male, but “the siblings” when it includes at least one sister. The same rule gives you los padres (parents) and los abuelos (grandparents).

What does “mijo” mean?

Mijo is a contraction of mi hijo (“my son”) — and mija comes from mi hija (“my daughter”). In Mexico it’s used affectionately toward children, and often toward friends or even strangers as a warm “sweetie” or “dear.”

How do I talk about in-laws in Spanish?

Name the specific relative: suegro / suegra (father/mother-in-law), cuñado / cuñada (brother/sister-in-law), yerno (son-in-law), nuera (daughter-in-law). Collectively, “the in-laws” are los suegros. Note that yerno and nuera are irregular and don’t follow the usual -o / -a pattern.

---

The best way to lock in family vocabulary is to actually describe your family out loud. Sofia, an AI Spanish teacher, lets you introduce your mamá, hermanos, and abuelitos in real Mexican-Spanish conversation and corrects your gender endings and accents as you speak, so the words stick where flashcards never quite do.