How to Say My Family Is From in French

How do you say "family unit" in French? It'southward a question that seems pretty simple, just equally is the case with families in full general, sometimes things tin can go a little complicated!

Let's look at some common French family vocabulary and clear up some confusion nigh things like talking most family unit members in French and how to differentiate between step-family unit and in-laws.

How practice you say "family" in French?

The French word for "family unit" is la famille. Information technology'due south a feminine word and can also exist used to say "relatives" in some cases.

If you lot want to talk virtually your family specifically, yous can say ma famille. The pronoun "ma" is used because famille is a feminine discussion.

Family members in French

les parents – parents. This word can also be used to mean "relatives", so pay attention to context.
la mère – mother
Maman – Mom/Mum
le père – father
Papa – Dad/Da
50'enfant/les enfants – child/children
le fils – son
la fille – daughter
l'époux/l'épouse – spouse

Siblings

le frère – blood brother
un frérot – an appreciating term for "brother". Can also be slang for bro/bruv.
united nations frangin – an affectionate term for brother.
le demi-frère – half-brother (a brother who shares one biological parent with you)
la sœur – sister
une frangine – an appreciating term for sis
la demi-sœur – half-sister (a sister who shares one biological parent with you)

Note that at that place is no single French word for "sibling" or "siblings". You take to specify if yous're talking nearly a brother or sister, or you lot can say either mes fr è res, mes sœurs, or mes fr è res et soeurs.

The discussion la fratrie may also be used, but this is closer to "the children" in meaning.

Other immediate family members

un tuteur/une tutrice – legal guardian
united nations animal de compagnie/un animate being domestique – a pet

Couples

le couple – the couple
le mari – the hubby
la femme – the wife
le/la fiancé(due east) – fiancé
le/la conjoint(e) – formal name for domestic partner
le copain/la copine – boyfriend/girlfriend

Annotation that in many French families with children, the parents may non be married. In some cultures, this might be seen as controversial, but in France it's not an effect.

Grandparents and grandchildren

les grands-parents – grandparents
la grand-mère – grandmother. Note that while this is a feminine give-and-take, 1000 doesn't take an e at the end.
Mamie – Grandma/Gran. Every bit in English, at that place can exist some exceptions and variants for this term, but this is the well-nigh common mode for someone to address their grandmother in France. Ex: Salut Mamie, comment vas-tu aujourd'hui ? (Hi Grandma, how are yous doing today?)
le grand-père – grandfather
Pépé/Papy – Grandad/Grandad. Every bit in English language, in that location tin exist some exceptions and variants for this term, but these are the near common ways for someone to address their grandfather in France. Ex: On fait un petit tour en village, Papy ? (Shall we have a walk around the village, Granddad?)
les petits-enfants – grandchildren
le petit-fils -grandson
la petite-fille – granddaughter
les arrière-grands-parents – great-grandparents
l'arrière-grand-père – great-grandfather
l'arrière-thousand-mère – peachy-grandmother
les arrière-petits-enfants – bully grandchildren

Aunts, uncles, cousins….

la tante – aunt. Note that this word is almost e'er preceded by an article or possessive pronoun. For instance, in English language you lot might say, "Aunt Judy is coming over." Only in French, y'all'd more likely hear, La tante Judy vient chez nous or Ta tante Judy vient chez nous, not Tante on its ain.

(une) tatie – aunt/auntie. This is an informal term of endearment for an aunt or great-aunt. It's non used by everyone, but you will probably come across information technology. Annotation that unlike tante, this word isn't always preceded by an commodity or possessive pronoun, and can be used to directly address ane's aunt. Ex: Tatie Simone, la tante Clara nous attend au buffet. (Auntie Simone, Aunt Clara is waiting for u.s.a. at the cafe.)

l'oncle – uncle. Note that this word is almost e'er preceded by an article or possessive pronoun. For instance, in English you might say, "Uncle Charles is coming over." Only in French, you'd more probable hear, L'oncle Charles vient chez nous or Ton oncle Charles vient chez nous, non Oncle on its own.

(un) tonton – an informal, somewhat kittenish term for an uncle or a great-uncle, somewhere betwixt "Uncle" and "Unky". Notation that unlike oncle, this word isn't preceded by an article or possessive pronoun, and tin be used to direct address 1's uncle. Ex: Voici mon oncle Pierre. Tonton Pierre, je te présente Sylvie, ma copine. (This is my uncle Pierre. Uncle Pierre, I'd like you to meet Sylvie, my girlfriend.)

le neveu – nephew

la nièce – niece

un cousin/une cousine – a cousin. As with some other words on this listing, this word is usually preceded by an commodity or possessive pronoun. Ex: La Cousine Bette est un superbe livre écrit par Honoré de Balzac. (Cousin Bette is an amazing book by Honoré de Balzac.)

Godparents and godchildren

le parrain – godfather. Even if you're non familiar with the Cosmic practice of naming godparents (normally relatives or close family friends who would treat a child if their parents died – at least traditionally speaking), you lot've probably come up beyond this give-and-take, since information technology'due south the French title of the motion-picture show The Godfather.
la marraine – godmother. Fellow fairy tale fans, notation that this word is not the same when you're talking nearly a fairy godmother: that would be une bonne fée.
le filleul – godson
la filleule – goddaughter

Step-family and in-laws in French

A group of four people, three young men and a young woman, probably in their teens or twenties, link arms and look at the horizon. They are standing in a wheat field. The view is looking down into a forest that extends to the horizon. The weather is sunny.

You may wonder why these 2 categories of family members are grouped together. That'southward because in French, both are said the same manner:

les beaux-parents – female parent- and begetter -in-law OR stepparents
la belle-mère – mother-in-law OR stepmother
le beau-père – male parent-in-law OR stepfather
le swain-frère – brother-in-police force OR stepbrother
la belle-sœur – sis-in-police OR stepsister
le beau-fils – son-in-law OR stepson
la belle-fille – girl-in-law OR stepdaughter
la belle-famille – in-laws or stepfamily. Note that information technology is far more common to hear this word used to hateful "in-laws", though.

Associating both of these kinds of family unit members with the discussion fellow or belle (beautiful, lovely, handsome) probably came from the fact that the initial intention was to put them in a positive light…merely information technology can lead to a lot of confusion.

For example, if I want to talk almost my one-half-blood brother and my brother-in-law in the same sentence in French, I could say: Lors de mon dernier voyage aux États-Unis, j'ai vu monday beau-fr è re et monday beau-fr è re. (On my terminal trip to the The states, I saw my stepbrother and my brother-in-law.)

Luckily, at that place are ways to avoid confusion, both equally a speaker and a listener.

If you're listening to someone else, try to pay attention to context. For case, if the person talking is a child, it'due south probable they mean "stepbrother", since most of the time siblings are close enough in age that the child probably doesn't have any married brothers or sisters. Of course, that'due south non a total certainty.

If you lot're reading a story, you can also use context. for case, the wicked stepmother is a typical trope in fairy tales, then if you run across the word belle-m è re in a French fairy tale, it probably doesn't mean "mother-in-law".

On the other hand, in more contemporary storytelling, the difficult mother in law is a common trope, so if yous picket a French sitcom or sketch one-act show and hear someone complaining about their belle-mère, that's who they probably hateful.

When yous're talking to a French person, the good news is that you tin always enquire for clarification – even simply by using intonation: For instance: – Mon young man-fr è re est un passionn é de veilles voitures. – Ton beau-frère ? – Oui, le mari de ma sœur. ("My beau-frère is a fan of quondam cars." "Your beau-frère?" "My sis'southward hubby.")

Some people may even analyze in advance, the aforementioned equally you might in English. It'southward not uncommon to hear something similar: Nous sommes partis en vacances avec mon fr è re et sa femme (We went on vacation with my brother and his married woman) or La femme de mon fr è re travaille dans le It. (My brother's wife works in It.)

There are a two words that but apply to stepfamily members or in-laws, though. These are:

un gendre – a very mutual give-and-take for son-in-law

une bru – a less common, somewhat sometime-fashioned term for "daughter-in-police"

How to accost family members in French

As you can see from the listing, in virtually cases, you take to use an article or possessive pronoun when talking about family members in a general way in French. Some family unit members can also exist called by their title in lieu of their name.

For instance, although this would exist considered formal or old-fashioned, a French person could directly address their female parent every bit G è re or their grandfather as M-p è re. You could say this is the English equivalent of someone addressing their mom as "Female parent" rather than "Mom" or "Mum", and "Grandfather" rather than "Grandpa", "Grandfather", and so on. (These family unit members are more typically direct addressed as Maman and Papy, respectively.)

The French family unit members that you can normally exercise this with are:

Mère
Père
G-mère
One thousand-père

In addition, you may hear frère or soeur used either abstractly, as in poetry, or as a religious title for a monk or nun.

In about other cases, all other French family unit members' titles would have to be used with an article or possessive pronoun.

That said, there are some exceptions. For case, Scrooge McDuck (Picsou) is a very popular character in France. Picsou's nephews ofttimes address him directly as Oncle Picsou.

Typically, though, when addressing a family member directly in French, y'all either omit their title or use a more affectionate one.

For example, my French husband used to call his uncle Tonton Yves when talking to him directly as a child. Now that he'due south an adult, he merely calls him by his first name, Yves.

On the other hand, when he speaks to his mom, he always calls her Maman. His grandmother is always addressed as Mamie, and he e'er called his great-aunt Tatie.

Continue in mind that this is just a general rule. Each family unit is dissimilar, and some may non even use typical or traditional family member titles in the first place, but rather nicknames or the similar. You tin think of this the manner many people in English have fond nicknames for their grandparents – for example, instead of Grandpa or Grandfather, they might say "Pop-Popular."

The most of import preposition for talking most family relationships in French

A man and woman dressed in summary clothes have their hands linked with a little girl in an orange sundress in between them. They are barefoot walking on grass and dirt. It seems like they are at an outdoor exhibit or sports match.

In English, we utilise the possessive course a lot when talking about family: My mother's brother; My uncle's true cat; My sisters' farm, etc.

The aforementioned goes for French, which ways yous'll ofttimes see and utilize the preposition de when family is being described or discussed: le frère de ma mère; le conversation de mon oncle; la ferme de mes sœurs, etc.

French family unit vocabulary

Here are some common family-related words and expressions you'll come across in French.

la famille – the family. Annotation that this word can also have a more figurative meaning, or a scientific 1 or mathematical i. Y'all can visit this helpful webpage to find a list of famille 'southward many meanings.

la famille [nom] – the ___ family. Example: C'est une famille presque aussi bizarre quela famille Addams. (This family is nearly as bizarre as the Addams Family.)

Les [nom] – The ___s : Ex: Voici nos voisins, les Dupont. (Those are our neighbors, the Duponts.) Note that, unlike in English language, while the article in French is plural, the family unit'southward name stays singular.

en famille – amidst family OR "family" equally an adjective. For example: Hier soir, on a dîné en famille. (Last night, we had a family unit dinner.)

united nations foyer – household

united nations ménage – household

une famille monoparentale – a unmarried-parent family unit

une famille d'adoption – a establish family unit (a group of friends who become similar your family)

une famille d'accueil – a foster family. Notation that this term tin can likewise sometimes be used to denote a host family unit, when dealing with exchange students, for instance.

une famille recomposée – a composite family (a family where the parents have remarried/gotten together and now in that location are step-parents, pace-siblings, etc.)

united nations fils adopté/un fils adoptif/une fille adoptée/une fille adoptive – adopted son/adopted girl. Ex: C'est le fils adoptif de mon oncle. (He's my uncle's adopted son.) Note that, as in English,there is aught wrong with specifying that someone is adopted, in some contexts. Merely family is family and so information technology isn't polite or normal or necessary to point out that someone is adopted in well-nigh situations.

avoir un air de famille (avec) – to take a family unit resemblance (with). Ex: Ça se voit que c'est ton cousin, vous avez un vrai air de famille ! (You can tell that you're cousins; you two really accept a strong family resemblance!)

C'est de famille. – It runs in the family.

Y'all can detect more family-related French words and expressions in this Wiktionnaire entry.

How can I learn about French family life?

Two little girls stand in a field of yellow flowers and look towards what seems to be cityscape that is blurred in the background. One girl has chin-length black hair and the other has black hair below the shoulders.

If you'd similar to learn more about family life in France, our listing of statistics nearly France is a good identify to get-go.

Once you've learned the basics, you tin proceeds more insights by reading books in French and watching French movies and TV shows – after all, families of one kind or another are kind of ubiquitous.

An like shooting fish in a barrel manner to practice French family unit vocabulary is to draw your family, either written down on your ain, or to online friends and conversation partners. You can too imagine a family and write about it in French!

Nosotros're glad that you're part of the French Together family, or at to the lowest degree that you've stopped by for a visit!

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Source: https://frenchtogether.com/family-in-french/