Chapter 25: Family Members Vocabulary

Introduction: Talking About Your Family

Being able to talk about your family is a common part of getting to know someone. This chapter introduces the essential Dutch vocabulary for common family members.

Immediate Family

de familie = the family
de ouders = the parents (plural)
de vader = the father
Informal: pap, papa (dad, daddy)
de moeder = the mother
Informal: mam, mama (mom, mommy)
het kind = the child
de kinderen = the children (irregular plural)
de zoon = the son
de dochter = the daughter
de broer = the brother
de zus = the sister
de broers en zussen = siblings (literally: brothers and sisters)

Extended Family

de grootouders = the grandparents (plural)
de opa = the grandfather / grandpa
de oma = the grandmother / grandma
de oom = the uncle
de tante = the aunt
de neef = the nephew / male cousin
de nicht = the niece / female cousin
Note: neef and nicht can mean both nephew/niece AND cousin. Context usually clarifies.)

Partners

de man = the husband (can also mean "the man")
de vrouw = the wife (can also mean "the woman")
de partner = the partner (gender-neutral)
de vriend = the boyfriend (can also mean "male friend")
de vriendin = the girlfriend (can also mean "female friend")

Examples in Sentences

Dit is mijn familie. (This is my family.)
Mijn ouders wonen in Spanje. (My parents live in Spain.)
Ik heb een broer en twee zussen. (I have one brother and two sisters.)
Hoe heet jouw vader? (What is your father's name? - informal)
Mijn opa en oma zijn oud. (My grandpa and grandma are old.)
Zij is de tante van mijn partner. (She is the aunt of my partner.)
Heb je kinderen? (Do you have children?)

Learn these common terms for family members. Remember that most are de-words, except for het kind. Use possessive pronouns (mijn, jouw, zijn, haar, etc.) to talk about your family or someone else's.