familiares
/fah-mee-lee-AH-rehs/
relatives
When used as a noun, familiares means relatives, referring to people related by blood or marriage.
familiares(noun)
relatives
?people related by blood or marriage
,family members
?members of one's immediate or extended family
kin
?formal or older usage
📝 In Action
Todos mis familiares viven en la misma ciudad.
A1All my relatives live in the same city.
¿Cuántos familiares asistieron a la boda?
A2How many family members attended the wedding?
Los familiares del paciente esperan noticias afuera.
B1The patient's family members are waiting outside for news.
💡 Grammar Points
Plural Noun Rule
Even though 'familiares' can refer to a mix of men and women, the default plural form is masculine ('los familiares'), which is standard for groups of people.
❌ Common Pitfalls
Using 'Familia' instead of 'Familiares'
Mistake: "Mis familia vienen a verme."
Correction: Mi familia (singular group) viene a verme. OR Mis familiares (plural individuals) vienen a verme. Use 'familiares' when referring to multiple individual people.
⭐ Usage Tips
Extended Family
Use 'familiares' when you mean cousins, aunts, uncles, grandparents, etc.—the word covers your whole extended family.
As an adjective, familiares describes something that is familiar, meaning well-known or recognized.
familiares(adjective)
familiar
?well-known or recognized
,casual
?informal or intimate (e.g., in a setting)
domestic
?related to the home or household
📝 In Action
Esos nombres no me son familiares.
B1Those names aren't familiar to me.
Las caras familiares en la reunión me dieron tranquilidad.
B2The familiar faces at the meeting gave me peace of mind.
Adoptamos unos modales más familiares en la cena.
C1We adopted more casual manners at dinner.
💡 Grammar Points
Adjective Agreement
Since 'familiares' is plural, it must always describe a plural noun. If the noun is feminine (like 'caras'), the form is still 'familiares' because the base word 'familiar' is one of those adjectives that doesn't change based on gender.
❌ Common Pitfalls
Placement Error
Mistake: "Unos familiares problemas."
Correction: Unos problemas familiares. When referring to 'family-related' issues, the adjective usually follows the noun.
⭐ Usage Tips
Meaning Shift
When 'familiares' describes things, it means 'well-known.' When it describes behavior or atmosphere, it often means 'casual' or 'informal,' like you would act at home.
✏️ Quick Practice
💡 Quick Quiz: familiares
Question 1 of 2
Which sentence uses 'familiares' as a noun (meaning people)?
📚 More Resources
Frequently Asked Questions
Is 'familiares' the plural of 'familia'?
No. 'Familia' is singular, and its plural is 'familias' (meaning multiple families). 'Familiares' is the plural of the adjective/noun 'familiar,' meaning 'relatives' (people) or 'familiar/known' (things).
How do I say 'immediate family' in Spanish?
The most common way is 'familia inmediata' or 'familia cercana' (close family). You can also refer to the individuals as 'familiares cercanos'.