Spanish family words: 25 words for family, friends and people

🇪🇸 SpanishA1–A225 words

Talking about the people in your life is one of the first things you do in a new language. These words cover family members, friends, flatmates and a few adjectives to describe people, with examples from everyday conversations in Spain.

Where you will use it: Talking about your family, friends and the people around you.

Spanish words for family and people — The word list

Meanings and translations are in English.

Spanish	Meaning and example
la familia	Family.“Mi familia vive cerca de Zaragoza.”My family lives near Zaragoza.
la madre	Mother.“Mi madre trabaja en una biblioteca.”My mother works in a library.
el padre	Father.“Mi padre prepara la comida los domingos.”My father makes lunch on Sundays.
los padres	Parents.“Mis padres han venido a verme hoy.”My parents have come to see me today.
el hermano / la hermana	Brother / sister.“Mi hermana estudia en la universidad.”My sister studies at university.
el hijo / la hija	Son / daughter.“Su hija tiene clase esta tarde.”His daughter has a lesson this afternoon.
el abuelo / la abuela	Grandfather / grandmother.“Mi abuela nos cuenta historias del pueblo.”My grandmother tells us stories about the village.
el nieto / la nieta	Grandson / granddaughter.“Su nieto juega en el jardín.”Her grandson is playing in the garden.
el tío / la tía	Uncle / aunt.“Mi tía viene a cenar mañana.”My aunt is coming for dinner tomorrow.
el sobrino / la sobrina	Nephew / niece.“Mi sobrino ha empezado el colegio hoy.”My nephew has started school today.
el primo / la prima	Cousin (male / female).“Mi prima vive en el mismo barrio.”My cousin lives in the same neighbourhood.
el marido	Husband.“Su marido trabaja desde casa los viernes.”Her husband works from home on Fridays.
la mujer	Woman; wife.“Mi mujer y yo compartimos las tareas.”My wife and I share the chores.
la pareja	Partner; couple.“Mi pareja y yo vivimos en Valencia.”My partner and I live in Valencia.
el novio / la novia	Boyfriend / girlfriend; bridegroom / bride.“Su novio viene con nosotros al cine.”Her boyfriend is coming to the cinema with us.
el amigo / la amiga	Friend (male / female).“Mi amiga me ha llamado esta mañana.”My friend has called me this morning.
el compañero de piso / la compañera de piso	Flatmate (male / female).“Mi compañera de piso es de Galicia.”My flatmate is from Galicia.
el niño / la niña	Boy / girl; child.“La niña juega con su hermano pequeño.”The girl is playing with her little brother.
el bebé	Baby.“El bebé duerme en su cuna.”The baby is sleeping in its cot.
la persona	Person.“Esa persona espera en la entrada.”That person is waiting at the entrance.
la gente	People.“Aquí la gente cena bastante tarde.”People here have dinner quite late.
simpático / simpática	Nice; friendly (male / female).“Vuestra hermana es muy simpática conmigo.”Your sister is very friendly towards me.
amable	Kind; polite.“El dependiente ha sido muy amable hoy.”The shop assistant has been very kind today.
joven	Young.“Mi abuelo todavía se siente muy joven.”My grandfather still feels very young.
mayor	Older; elderly.“Mi hermano mayor vive en Santander.”My older brother lives in Santander.

Tips for learning Spanish words

Learn the article with the nounWrite el billete or la cuenta, not just the noun: the article tells you the gender, and adjectives agree with it.
Say every example aloudSpanish is spelled almost exactly as it sounds. Play the audio, then read the example aloud — it trains your ear and your pronunciation at once.
Type the accentsIn WordNest a missing accent counts as a mistake. Typing está, mañana and también correctly from the start saves relearning them later.

Spanish as spoken in Spain

Spanish is spoken in more than twenty countries, and everyday words differ between them: a car is a coche in Spain and a carro in much of Latin America, a phone is a móvil rather than a celular. These lists follow Spain's usage — vosotros, coger el tren, el ordenador — and WordNest's examples, audio and AI corrections use the same standard. You will still be understood everywhere.

Add five or six of these words a day rather than the whole list at once, keep the example sentence on the card, and review them when they come due. WordNest schedules each word across seven growing intervals — same day, then 1, 3, 7, 14, 30 and 60 days — so the list is still with you months later. Read how spaced repetition works if you want the reasoning behind those numbers.

Spanish word lists →

Questions about this list

Is this Spanish from Spain or Latin America?

Spanish as spoken in Spain. Where Latin America usually uses a different word, the list gives the Spain one — for example coche instead of carro — but every word is understood across the Spanish-speaking world.

How do I practise Spanish words for family and people?

Start with five words, listen and say each example aloud. Then recall the Spanish word from its English meaning and review it over several days.

How many words are in this list?

This list contains 25 words and phrases with English meanings and example sentences. It is a starting set, not a complete course.

Study these words with spaced repetition

Create a free account, choose Spanish as a study language and add these words to your own deck.