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How to Say "family" in Spanish

The most common Spanish word for “family” is “familia” — use 'familia' when referring to your parents, children, siblings, or the nuclear and extended household unit, as well as for scientific classifications..

English → Spanish

familia

/fa-MEE-lee-ah//faˈmi.lja/

NounA1General
Use 'familia' when referring to your parents, children, siblings, or the nuclear and extended household unit, as well as for scientific classifications.
A happy family consisting of a mother, a father, and one child sitting together on a green park bench, smiling warmly.

Examples

Mi familia vive en Argentina.

My family lives in Argentina.

Tengo una familia muy grande.

I have a very big family.

La familia es lo más importante para mí.

Family is the most important thing to me.

El español pertenece a la familia de las lenguas romances.

Spanish belongs to the family of Romance languages.

Always Feminine

Even though a family includes men and women, the word 'familia' is always feminine. This means you always say 'la familia' (the family) or 'una familia' (a family).

Confusing 'Familia' and 'Parientes'

Mistake: “Todos mis parientes viven en mi casa.”

Correction: Mi familia vive en mi casa. 'Familia' is better for your immediate household. 'Parientes' means all your relatives, including distant cousins you might not live with.

familia

/fa-MEE-lee-ah//faˈmi.lja/

NounB2Formal/Academic
Use 'familia' when referring to a scientific or logical group, such as a classification of animals or languages.
A happy family consisting of a mother, a father, and one child sitting together on a green park bench, smiling warmly.

Examples

El español pertenece a la familia de las lenguas romances.

Spanish belongs to the family of Romance languages.

Mi familia vive en Argentina.

My family lives in Argentina.

Tengo una familia muy grande.

I have a very big family.

La familia es lo más importante para mí.

Family is the most important thing to me.

Always Feminine

Even though a family includes men and women, the word 'familia' is always feminine. This means you always say 'la familia' (the family) or 'una familia' (a family).

Confusing 'Familia' and 'Parientes'

Mistake: “Todos mis parientes viven en mi casa.”

Correction: Mi familia vive en mi casa. 'Familia' is better for your immediate household. 'Parientes' means all your relatives, including distant cousins you might not live with.

gente

/HEN-teh//ˈxente/

NounB1Informal
Use 'gente' informally to refer to your relatives or 'your people,' especially in contexts like holiday gatherings.
A warm, cozy living room where a family of multiple generations is laughing together, representing 'gente' as one's own family or community.

Examples

En Navidad, siempre voy a ver a mi gente.

At Christmas, I always go to see my family/people.

Es una persona que cuida mucho a su gente.

He/She is a person who takes great care of his/her people.

Familia vs. Gente

The most common mistake is using 'gente' when a more formal or direct term for the household unit is needed. While 'gente' can mean 'family,' it often carries a broader sense of 'people' or 'relatives' and is less precise than 'familia' for denoting the immediate family structure.

Related Translations

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