Family
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 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 |
| los miembros de la familia | family members |
| los parientes | relatives |
| el/la nieto/a | grandson/granddaughter |
| los nietos | grandchildren |
| el/la suegro/a | father-in-law/mother-in-law |
| el/la cuñado/a | brother/sister in law |
| el/la hijastro/a | step son/step daughter |
| el yerno | son-in-law |
| la nuera | daughter-in-law |
| el/la mejor amigo/a | best friend |
| el bebé | baby |
| el/la gemelo/a | twin boy/girl |
| 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 |
| los miembros de la familia |
| family members |
| los parientes |
| relatives |
| el/la nieto/a |
| grandson/granddaughter |
| los nietos |
| grandchildren |
| el/la suegro/a |
| father-in-law/mother-in-law |
| el/la cuñado/a |
| brother/sister in law |
| el/la hijastro/a |
| step son/step daughter |
| el yerno |
| son-in-law |
| la nuera |
| daughter-in-law |
| el/la mejor amigo/a |
| best friend |
| el bebé |
| baby |
| el/la gemelo/a |
| twin boy/girl |
Here are some words to describe what people look like:
| soy... | I am... |
| 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 |
| de estatura media | medium height |
| de peso medio | medium weight |
| joven | young |
| de mediana edad | middle aged |
| viejo/a | old |
| pálido/a | pale |
| moreno/a | dark skinned |
| soy... |
| I am... |
| 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 |
| de estatura media |
| medium height |
| de peso medio |
| medium weight |
| joven |
| young |
| de mediana edad |
| middle aged |
| viejo/a |
| old |
| pálido/a |
| pale |
| moreno/a |
| dark skinned |
It's also useful to describe hair style and colour:
| tengo el pelo... | I have... hair |
| tiene el pelo... | he/she has... hair |
| tienen el pelo... | they have... hair |
| ...largo/corto/a media melena | ...long/short/medium length |
| ...liso/rizado/ondulado | ...straight/curly/wavy |
| ...y rubio/moreno/blanco/negro/castaño/pelirrojo | ...and blond/dark/white/black/brown/red |
| tengo el pelo... |
| I have... hair |
| tiene el pelo... |
| he/she has... hair |
| tienen el pelo... |
| they have... hair |
| ...largo/corto/a media melena |
| ...long/short/medium length |
| ...liso/rizado/ondulado |
| ...straight/curly/wavy |
| ...y rubio/moreno/blanco/negro/castaño/pelirrojo |
| ...and blond/dark/white/black/brown/red |
You can also mention eye colour:
| tengo los ojos... | I have... eyes |
| tiene los ojos... | he/she has... eyes |
| tienen los ojos... | they have... eyes |
| ...azules/marrones/verdes/negros | ...blue/brown/green/dark |
| tengo los ojos... |
| I have... eyes |
| tiene los ojos... |
| he/she has... eyes |
| tienen los ojos... |
| they have... eyes |
| ...azules/marrones/verdes/negros |
| ...blue/brown/green/dark |
Other useful phrases are :
| llevo... | I wear... |
| lleva... | he/she wears... |
| llevan... | they wear... |
| gafas | glasses |
| coletas | pig tails |
| trenzas | plaits |
| flequillo | fringe |
| tengo... | I have... |
| tiene... | he/she has... |
| tienen... | they have... |
| pecas | freckles |
| una cicatriz | a scar |
| canas | white hairs |
| es calvo/a | he/she is bald |
| llevo... |
| I wear... |
| lleva... |
| he/she wears... |
| llevan... |
| they wear... |
| gafas |
| glasses |
| coletas |
| pig tails |
| trenzas |
| plaits |
| flequillo |
| fringe |
| tengo... |
| I have... |
| tiene... |
| he/she has... |
| tienen... |
| they have... |
| pecas |
| freckles |
| una cicatriz |
| a scar |
| canas |
| white hairs |
| es calvo/a |
| he/she is bald |
