Me, my family and friends in Spanish - EduqasVocabulary - describing family members

Learn key vocabulary for talking about your friends and family. Practise your language skills to describe and respond to questions about those close to you.

Part ofSpanishSelf and relationships

Vocabulary - describing family members

Relationships with family and friends

Relationships with family and friends are a key part of our lives. It's important to be able to talk about the people that matter to us. Family is very important in Spain, with many young people living with their parents well into their twenties, and then staying nearby when they move out.

Here are some useful words to talk about family members:

la madremother
el padrefather
los padresparents
la madrastrastepmother
el padrastrostepfather
el/la hermano/abrother/sister
el/la hermanastro/astep/half-brother/sister
el/la abuelo/agrandfather/grandmother
los abuelosgrandparents
el/la tío/auncle/aunt
el/la primo/acousin
el/la sobrino/anephew/niece
el/la hijo/ason/daughter
el/la hijo/a único/aonly child
la madre
mother
el padre
father
los padres
parents
la madrastra
stepmother
el padrastro
stepfather
el/la hermano/a
brother/sister
el/la hermanastro/a
step/half-brother/sister
el/la abuelo/a
grandfather/grandmother
los abuelos
grandparents
el/la tío/a
uncle/aunt
el/la primo/a
cousin
el/la sobrino/a
nephew/niece
el/la hijo/a
son/daughter
el/la hijo/a único/a
only child

Here are some words to describe what people look like:

Es ...He/she is ...
alto/atall
bajo/ashort
grandebig
pequeño/asmall
mediano/amedium
guapo/agood looking
feo/augly
gordo/afat
delgado/aslim
Es ...
He/she is ...
alto/a
tall
bajo/a
short
grande
big
pequeño/a
small
mediano/a
medium
guapo/a
good looking
feo/a
ugly
gordo/a
fat
delgado/a
slim

Words like muy (very), bastante (quite) and un poco (a little) can make descriptions more interesting, eg creo que mi hermano es un poco feo (I think that my brother is a little ugly).

It's also useful to describe hairstyle and colour:

Tiene el pelo ...He/she has ... hair
... largo/corto/liso/rizado... long/short/straight/curly
... y rubio/moreno/blanco/negro/castaño/pelirrojoand blond/dark/white/black/brown/red...
Tiene el pelo ...
He/she has ... hair
... largo/corto/liso/rizado
... long/short/straight/curly
... y rubio/moreno/blanco/negro/castaño/pelirrojo
and blond/dark/white/black/brown/red...

eg mi hermano tiene el pelo corto y negro (my brother has short black hair).

You can also mention eye colour:

Tiene los ojos ...He/she has ... eyes
... azules/marrones/verdes... blue/brown/green
Tiene los ojos ...
He/she has ... eyes
... azules/marrones/verdes
... blue/brown/green

Other useful phrases are:

lleva gafashe/she wears glasses
tiene pecashe/she has freckles
tiene barba/bigotehe has a beard/moustache
es calvo/ahe/she is bald
lleva gafas
he/she wears glasses
tiene pecas
he/she has freckles
tiene barba/bigote
he has a beard/moustache
es calvo/a
he/she is bald

Read the descriptions and choose the correct person.

Four characters - man with dark curly hair, lady with red hair, young boy with blonde hair, man with beard.

Question

Es bastante alto. Tiene los ojos marrones, es calvo y tiene barba.

Question

Es muy bajo. Tiene el pelo corto y rubio y lleva gafas.

Question

Tiene el pelo muy largo y pelirrojo. Tiene los ojos verdes y tiene muchas pecas.

Question

Tiene el pelo corto, rizado y negro. Tiene los ojos marrones y no lleva gafas.

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Listening - describing personality and character

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