Talking about the people in your family

Here are some words to talk about your relatives.

mother My mother's name is Sandra. (mother's name = the name of my mother)

father My father's name is Robert.

sister My sister's name is Sarah.

brother My brother's name is David.

child / children

I have one child. / I have two children. (child / children = boy or girl)

son My son's name is Richard.

daughter My daughter's name is Rebecca.

My father has a sister. His sister's name is Maria.

My mother has a sister. Her sister's name is Eve.

Maria is my aunt. Eve is my aunt.

My father has a brother. His brother's name is Henry.

My mother has a brother. Her brother's name is William.

Henry is my uncle and William is my uncle.

The parents of my father and my mother are my grandparents.

The father of my father (and the father of my mother) is my grandfather.

The mother of my father (and the mother of my mother) is my grandmother.

My son is the grandson of my parents.

My daughter is the granddaughter of my parents.

The children of my aunt and the children of my uncle are my cousins.

The son of my brother (or my sister) is my nephew.

The daughter of my brother (or my sister) is my niece.

Look at the family tree. Then decide which answer is correct in the quiz below.

Your family tree

Your closest relatives are your parents: your mother and father; and your siblings (brothers or sisters). If your mother or father is not an only child, you also have aunts and / or uncles. An aunt is the sister of your mother or father, while an uncle is the brother of your mother or father. Your female child is called your daughter, and your male child is your son.

If your aunts or uncles have children, they are your first cousins. (In English, the word cousin is used, whether the cousin is female or male.) Your female cousin is your mother (or father's) niece, while a male cousin is the nephew of your mother and father.

In-laws

When you marry, your husband (or wife's) family become your in-laws. The mother of your spouse (husband or wife) is your mother-in-law and his or her father becomes your father-in-law. The term in-law is also used to describe your relationship with the spouses of your siblings. So the husband of your sister becomes your brother-in-law, while the sister of your husband becomes your sister-in-law. If you are a woman, you become the daughter-in-law of your husband's parents, and if you are a man, you become the son-in-law of your wife's parents. The same term in-law is used for all generations. The husband of your aunt is still your mother's brother-in-law, for example.

Grandparents / grandchildren

The parents of your parents are your grandparents – grandmother and grandfather. You are their grandchildren – either a granddaughter or a grandson. If your grandparent has a sister, she is your great-aunt. If your grandparent has a brother, he is your great-uncle. (And you are either his or her great-niece or great-nephew.)

The mother of your grandmother or grandfather is your great-grandmother. The father is your great-grandfather. If you go back another generation, the grandmother of your grandmother / grandfather is your great-great-grandmother. The grandfather of your grandparent becomes your great-great-grandfather.

Grandparents / grandchildren

The parents of your parents are your grandparents – grandmother and grandfather. You are their grandchildren – either a granddaughter or a grandson. If your grandparent has a sister, she is your great-aunt. If your grandparent has a brother, he is your great-uncle. (And you are either his or her great-niece or great-nephew.)

The mother of your grandmother or grandfather is your great-grandmother. The father is your great-grandfather. If you go back another generation, the grandmother of your grandmother / grandfather is your great-great-grandmother. The grandfather of your grandparent becomes your great-great-grandfather.

Second families

If your mother or father remarries, you can acquire a new family and set of relatives. For example, if your father marries a second wife, she becomes your step-mother. Any children she already has become your step-sisters or step-brothers.

If your mother or father remarries and has children, they become your half-brothers or half-sisters.

You might also hear people talking about their biological brother / sister etc, to mean a brother who is related by blood, rather than by marriage.