Dutch Words for Family: Complete Vocabulary Guide

Learning Dutch words for family is one of the first steps to having meaningful conversations in the Netherlands or Belgium. Whether you're meeting your partner's relatives or simply describing your own family, this guide covers all the essential vocabulary you need.

Essential Family Vocabulary

These core Dutch words for family members form the foundation of any conversation about relatives. Master these first before moving on to extended family terms.

Word	Pronunciation	English	Example
de familie	duh fah-MEE-lee	the family	Mijn familie woont in Amsterdam. (My family lives in Amsterdam.)
de vader	duh VAH-dur	the father	Mijn vader is dokter. (My father is a doctor.)
de moeder	duh MOO-dur	the mother	Mijn moeder kookt graag. (My mother likes to cook.)
de ouders	duh OW-durs	the parents	Mijn ouders zijn met pensioen. (My parents are retired.)
de zoon	duh zohn	the son	Hun zoon studeert rechten. (Their son studies law.)
de dochter	duh DOKH-tur	the daughter	Onze dochter is zes jaar oud. (Our daughter is six years old.)
de broer	duh broor	the brother	Ik heb twee broers. (I have two brothers.)
de zus	duh zus	the sister	Mijn zus woont in België. (My sister lives in Belgium.)
de opa	duh OH-pah	the grandfather	Opa vertelt graag verhalen. (Grandfather likes to tell stories.)
de oma	duh OH-mah	the grandmother	Oma bakt de beste taart. (Grandmother bakes the best cake.)
de oom	duh ohm	the uncle	Mijn oom heeft een boot. (My uncle has a boat.)
de tante	duh TAHN-tuh	the aunt	Tante Maria komt zondag. (Aunt Maria is coming Sunday.)
de neef	duh nayf	the cousin (male) / nephew	Mijn neef is even oud als ik. (My cousin is the same age as me.)
de nicht	duh nikht	the cousin (female) / niece	Mijn nicht trouwt volgende maand. (My cousin is getting married next month.)
de kleinkinderen	duh KLINE-kin-duh-run	the grandchildren	Zij hebben vier kleinkinderen. (They have four grandchildren.)
de schoonouders	duh SKHOHN-ow-durs	the in-laws (parents)	We eten bij de schoonouders. (We're eating at the in-laws'.)
de schoonzoon	duh SKHOHN-zohn	the son-in-law	Onze schoonzoon komt uit Duitsland. (Our son-in-law is from Germany.)
de schoondochter	duh SKHOHN-dokh-tur	the daughter-in-law	De schoondochter spreekt drie talen. (The daughter-in-law speaks three languages.)

Common Phrases

Beyond individual vocabulary, these phrases will help you discuss family in everyday Dutch conversations.

• Hoe groot is jouw familie? (How big is your family?)
• Ik kom uit een groot gezin. (I come from a big family.)
• Ben je enig kind? (Are you an only child?)
• Ik ben de oudste/jongste. (I am the oldest/youngest.)
• Wij zijn met z'n vieren. (There are four of us.)
• Mijn ouders zijn gescheiden. (My parents are divorced.)
• Hij lijkt op zijn vader. (He looks like his father.)
• Zij heeft het karakter van haar moeder. (She has her mother's personality.)
• We hebben een hechte familie. (We have a close-knit family.)
• De hele familie komt samen met Kerst. (The whole family gathers at Christmas.)

Usage Notes

Understanding these cultural and grammatical points will help you use Dutch words for family more naturally.

• Gezin vs. Familie: Dutch distinguishes between gezin (immediate/nuclear family living together) and familie (extended family including all relatives). When Dutch people ask about your gezin, they mean parents and children only.
• Neef and Nicht: These words do double duty—neef means both "cousin" (male) and "nephew," while nicht means both "cousin" (female) and "niece." Context usually makes the meaning clear.
• Informal Terms: Papa and mama are common informal alternatives to vader and moeder. Similarly, opa and oma are already informal; the formal terms grootvader and grootmoeder are rarely used in speech.
• The Schoon- Prefix: In-laws use the prefix schoon- (literally "clean" or "beautiful"). Your spouse's parents are schoonouders, and your spouse's siblings are schoonbroer or schoonzus.
• Step-Relations: Use the prefix stief- for step-relatives: stiefvader (stepfather), stiefmoeder (stepmother), stiefzus (stepsister).
• Half-Relations: Half-siblings use half-: halfbroer (half-brother), halfzus (half-sister).

Practice Sentences

Try reading these sentences aloud to practice using Dutch words for family in context.

• Mijn broer en ik gaan elke zondag bij oma op bezoek.
  My brother and I visit grandmother every Sunday.
• De kinderen spelen in de tuin met hun neven en nichten.
  The children are playing in the garden with their cousins.
• Hoeveel broers en zussen heb je?
  How many brothers and sisters do you have?
• Mijn tante en oom wonen al dertig jaar in dezelfde straat.
  My aunt and uncle have lived on the same street for thirty years.
• Ons gezin bestaat uit vijf personen.
  Our family consists of five people.
• De grootouders passen op de kleinkinderen.
  The grandparents are babysitting the grandchildren.
• Mijn schoonmoeder maakt altijd te veel eten.
  My mother-in-law always makes too much food.
• Hij is het jongste kind van vier.
  He is the youngest child of four.
• Onze dochter is vernoemd naar haar overgrootmoeder.
  Our daughter is named after her great-grandmother.
• De hele familie kwam naar de bruiloft.
  The whole family came to the wedding.