Portuguese Words for Family: Complete Vocabulary Guide
Learning Portuguese words for family is one of the most important steps for any language learner. Whether you're meeting your partner's relatives, discussing your own family, or simply making conversation, knowing how to talk about família (family) will serve you well in any Portuguese-speaking country.
Essential Family Vocabulary
These core Portuguese words for family members form the foundation of any conversation about relatives. Pay attention to the gender differences, as Portuguese distinguishes between masculine and feminine forms.
| Word | Pronunciation | English | Example |
|---|---|---|---|
| a família | ah fah-MEE-lee-ah | family | A minha família é grande. (My family is big.) |
| o pai | oo PIE | father | O meu pai trabalha em Lisboa. (My father works in Lisbon.) |
| a mãe | ah MAHNG | mother | A minha mãe cozinha muito bem. (My mother cooks very well.) |
| os pais | oosh PICE | parents | Os meus pais moram no Brasil. (My parents live in Brazil.) |
| o filho | oo FEE-lyoo | son | O meu filho tem cinco anos. (My son is five years old.) |
| a filha | ah FEE-lyah | daughter | A minha filha estuda medicina. (My daughter studies medicine.) |
| o irmão | oo eer-MAHNG | brother | Tenho um irmão mais velho. (I have an older brother.) |
| a irmã | ah eer-MAHNG | sister | A minha irmã vive em Portugal. (My sister lives in Portugal.) |
| o avô | oo ah-VOH | grandfather | O meu avô conta histórias incríveis. (My grandfather tells incredible stories.) |
| a avó | ah ah-VAW | grandmother | A avó faz o melhor bolo. (Grandma makes the best cake.) |
| os avós | oosh ah-VOSH | grandparents | Visito os meus avós aos domingos. (I visit my grandparents on Sundays.) |
| o neto | oo NEH-too | grandson | Ela tem três netos. (She has three grandsons.) |
| a neta | ah NEH-tah | granddaughter | A neta dela é muito simpática. (Her granddaughter is very nice.) |
| o tio | oo TEE-oo | uncle | O meu tio mora nos Estados Unidos. (My uncle lives in the United States.) |
| a tia | ah TEE-ah | aunt | A tia Maria vem jantar connosco. (Aunt Maria is coming to dinner with us.) |
| o primo | oo PREE-moo | cousin (male) | O meu primo é médico. (My cousin is a doctor.) |
| a prima | ah PREE-mah | cousin (female) | A minha prima casou-se ontem. (My cousin got married yesterday.) |
| o sobrinho | oo soo-BREE-nyoo | nephew | O meu sobrinho adora futebol. (My nephew loves soccer.) |
| a sobrinha | ah soo-BREE-nyah | niece | A sobrinha dele é muito inteligente. (His niece is very intelligent.) |
| o marido | oo mah-REE-doo | husband | O meu marido é português. (My husband is Portuguese.) |
| a esposa / a mulher | ah esh-POH-zah / ah moo-LYEHR | wife | A minha esposa trabalha em casa. (My wife works from home.) |
| o sogro | oo SOH-groo | father-in-law | O meu sogro é muito simpático. (My father-in-law is very nice.) |
| a sogra | ah SOH-grah | mother-in-law | A sogra cozinhou para todos. (The mother-in-law cooked for everyone.) |
| o cunhado | oo koo-NYAH-doo | brother-in-law | O meu cunhado é engenheiro. (My brother-in-law is an engineer.) |
| a cunhada | ah koo-NYAH-dah | sister-in-law | A cunhada mora perto de nós. (My sister-in-law lives near us.) |
Common Phrases
Beyond individual Portuguese words for family, these expressions will help you discuss relatives naturally in conversation.
- Tens irmãos? (Tensh eer-MAHNGSH) – Do you have siblings?
- Quantos filhos tens? (KWAN-toosh FEE-lyoosh tensh) – How many children do you have?
- Sou filho único / filha única. (Soh FEE-lyoo OO-nee-koo / FEE-lyah OO-nee-kah) – I'm an only child.
- A minha família é pequena. (Ah MEE-nyah fah-MEE-lee-ah eh peh-KEH-nah) – My family is small.
- Somos uma família unida. (SOH-moosh OO-mah fah-MEE-lee-ah oo-NEE-dah) – We are a close family.
- Pareço-me com a minha mãe. (pah-REH-soo-meh kong ah MEE-nyah MAHNG) – I look like my mother.
- Dou-me bem com os meus irmãos. (Doh-meh beng kong oosh meh-oosh eer-MAHNGSH) – I get along well with my siblings.
- Vamos visitar a família. (VAH-moosh vee-zee-TAR ah fah-MEE-lee-ah) – Let's visit the family.
- É uma reunião de família. (Eh OO-mah heh-oo-nee-AHNG deh fah-MEE-lee-ah) – It's a family reunion.
- Os meus pais estão divorciados. (Oosh meh-oosh pice esh-TAHNG dee-vor-see-AH-doosh) – My parents are divorced.
Usage Notes
When using Portuguese words for family in conversation, keep these important cultural and grammatical points in mind:
- Possessive adjectives: In European Portuguese, you typically use the definite article with possessives: o meu pai (my father), a minha mãe (my mother). In Brazilian Portuguese, the article is often dropped in casual speech.
- Plural forms: When referring to both genders together, Portuguese uses the masculine plural. Os filhos can mean "the sons" or "the children" (sons and daughters together). Similarly, os pais means "the parents" (not just "the fathers").
- Affectionate terms: Portuguese speakers often use diminutives to show affection: paizinho (daddy), mãezinha (mommy), avozinha (granny). These are formed by adding -inho/-inha to the base word.
- Family importance: Family plays a central role in Portuguese and Brazilian culture. Sunday lunches with extended family are common, and it's normal for adult children to live with parents until marriage.
- Addressing elders: In formal situations or with elderly relatives you've just met, you might use o senhor (sir) or a senhora (ma'am) before transitioning to more familiar terms.
- Step-family: For step-relatives, add padrasto (stepfather), madrasta (stepmother), enteado (stepson), enteada (stepdaughter), meio-irmão (half-brother), meia-irmã (half-sister).
Practice Sentences
Use these example sentences to practice Portuguese words for family in context. Try reading them aloud to improve your pronunciation.
- A minha família mora em diferentes cidades. – My family lives in different cities.
- O meu irmão mais novo vai casar no próximo mês. – My younger brother is getting married next month.
- Os avós dos meus filhos vivem no campo. – My children's grandparents live in the countryside.
- Tenho dois primos que moram no Brasil. – I have two cousins who live in Brazil.
- A minha tia faz anos amanhã. – My aunt's birthday is tomorrow.
- O pai da minha esposa é muito engraçado. – My wife's father is very funny.
- Vou passar o Natal com a família do meu marido. – I'm going to spend Christmas with my husband's family.
- A minha sobrinha acabou de entrar na universidade. – My niece just started university.
- Temos uma foto de família na sala de estar. – We have a family photo in the living room.
- Os meus filhos adoram brincar com os primos. – My children love playing with their cousins.