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written by Alice Cimino

Language: French

Reading time: 13 minutes

Published: Feb 28, 2022

Talk About Family in French – A Guide to French Family Vocabulary [with Audio]

If you’re learning French, you should learn how to talk about family in French. That’s because family is an important topic that often comes up in conversations. In this article, I’ll share the words you need to know, with audio recordings from myself, a native French speaker.

Allons-y!  Let’s get started.

Table of contents

French words to talk about your family.

• How to Say “Family” in French: Famille

Rules of Gender, Number Agreement, and the French Family Member Collectives

French terms of endearment for family members, how to write about your family in french – some more vocabulary.

• 1. Qu’est-ce qu’on a fait au Bon Dieu ?
• 2. C’est quoi cette famille?!
• 3. Il a déjà tes yeux

You’re All Set to Talk About Your Family in French!

Psst… Do you like French cinema? Stick around until the end of the article for French movie recommendations that revolve around family!

“Family” in French is  famille‎‏‏‎ ‎‏‎ .

To say “family member” in French you would say  membre de la famille‎‏‏‎ ‎‏‎ . You can also say  parent‎‏‏‎ ‎‏‎ , which also translates to “parent”, as in father or mother.

If you want to talk about family in French, you will need to know the appropriate words to describe the different  liens de famille  (“family relationships”).

Immediate family:

• la femme ‎‏‏‎ ‎‏‎ or  l’épouse‎‏‏‎ ‎‏‎ – “the wife”
• le mari ‎‏‏‎ ‎‏‎ or  l’époux‎‏‏‎ ‎‏‎ – “the husband”
• les parents ‎‏‏‎ ‎‏‎ – “the parents”
• la mère ‎‏‏‎ ‎‏‎ – “the mother”
• le père ‎‏‏‎ ‎‏‎ – “the father”
• les enfants ‎‏‏‎ ‎‏‎ – “the children”
• la fille ‎‏‏‎ ‎‏‎ – “the daughter”
• le fils ‎‏‏‎ ‎‏‎ – “the son”
• la sœur ‎‏‏‎ ‎‏‎ – “the sister”
• le frère ‎‏‏‎ ‎‏‎ – “the brother”

Extended family:

• la tante ‎‏‏‎ ‎‏‎ – “the aunt”
• l’oncle ‎‏‏‎ ‎‏‎ – “the uncle”
• la nièce ‎‏‏‎ ‎‏‎ – “the niece”
• le neveu ‎‏‏‎ ‎‏‎ – “the nephew”
• la cousine ‎‏‏‎ ‎‏‎ – “the cousin” (feminine)
• le cousin ‎‏‏‎ ‎‏‎ – “the cousin” (masculine)
• la petite-fille ‎‏‏‎ ‎‏‎ – “the grand-daughter”
• le petit-fils ‎‏‏‎ ‎‏‎ – “the grandson”
• la grand-mère ‎‏‏‎ ‎‏‎ – “the grandmother”
• le grand-père ‎‏‏‎ ‎‏‎ – “the grandfather”
• l’arrière-petite-fille ‎‏‏‎ ‎‏‎ – “the great-granddaughter”
• l’arrière-petit-fils ‎‏‏‎ ‎‏‎ – “the great-grandson”
• l’arrière-grand-mère ‎‏‏‎ ‎‏‎ – “the great-grandmother”
• l’arrière-grand-père ‎‏‏‎ ‎‏‎ – “the great-grandfather”

All of these form  les proches ‎‏‏‎ ‎‏‎ (“close relations”).

Since this is a lot of information, you can download this chart to keep it for further studies:

Step-family:

• la belle-mère ‎‏‏‎ ‎‏‎ – “the stepmother”
• le beau-père ‎‏‏‎ ‎‏‎ – “the stepfather”
• la demi-sœur ‎‏‏‎ ‎‏‎ – “the stepsister” or “the half-sister”
• le demi-frère ‎‏‏‎ ‎‏‎ – “the stepbrother” or “the half-brother”
• la belle-fille ‎‏‏‎ ‎‏‎ – “the stepdaughter”
• le beau-fils ‎‏‏‎ ‎‏‎ – “the stepson”
• la belle-mère  – “the mother-in-law”
• le beau-père  – “the father-in-law”
• la belle-sœur ‎‏‏‎ ‎‏‎ – “the sister-in-law”
• le beau-frère ‎‏‏‎ ‎‏‎ – “the brother-in-law
• la belle-fille  – “the daughter-in-law”
• le beau-fils  – “the son-in-law”

It might also be useful for you to learn the members of the “godparent family”:

• les parrains ‎‏‏‎ ‎‏‎ – “the godparents”
• la marraine ‎‏‏‎ ‎‏‎ – “the godmother”
• le parrain ‎‏‏‎ ‎‏‎ – “the godfather”
• la filleule ‎‏‏‎ ‎‏‎ – “the goddaughter”
• le filleul ‎‏‏‎ ‎‏‎ – “the godson”

How to Say “Family” in French:  Famille

As I mentioned above, “Family” in French is  famille ‎‏‏‎ ‎‏‎ .

Famille  is a noun, so you will often see  famille  coming after an article or a pronoun.

The most common ones are:

• La  famille  – “(the) family”
• Une  famille  – “a family”
• Ma  famille  – “my family”

Let’s pause for a second and take a look at how similar  famille  is to “family”. These words are  cognates : even though they’re from different languages, their spelling and pronunciation are similar, and they have the same meaning.

Cognates help you start learning a new language by giving you an instant vocabulary base. One of our favorite courses at  Fi3M ,  French Uncovered , teaches you to recognise French cognates from the very start of yourjourney learning French. It’s a great way to feel more confident in your knowledge and less intimidated by your target language.

(Remember, at  Fi3M  we’re all about simple language hacks like this that help you learn a language faster 😉.)

The Different Types of Family in French

Once you’ve mastered how to say  famille , you can go a little more in-depth and learn the different types of family categorization in French:

• la famille nucléaire‎‏‏‎ ‎‏‎ or  la famille traditionnelle‎‏‏‎ ‎‏‎ – “immediate family”
• la famille monoparentale‎‏‏‎ ‎‏‎ – “single-parent family”
• la famille recomposée‎‏‏‎ ‎‏‎ – “stepfamily” or “reconstituted family”
• la famille élargie‎‏‏‎ ‎‏‎ or  la famille étendue‎‏‏‎ ‎‏‎ – “extended family”
• la belle-famille‎‏‏‎ ‎‏‎ – “in-laws”
• la famille adoptive‎‏‏‎ ‎‏‎ – “adoptive family” or “foster family”

French follows rules of gender and number agreement. This means that if a noun is feminine, the article and adjective(s) that describe it will also be feminine. The same goes for when a noun is singular or plural. This is important to know if you want to describe your family members, for example.

Let’s look at how the agreement rules work.

While we’re looking at the plural forms of French family members, let’s talk about the collective terms for family members. These are words like “the parents” or “the siblings”, which describe the whole group of family members with the same titles, regardless of their gender.

Here are the most common:

• les parents  – “the parents”
• all other terms with  parents  in them, such as  les grandparents
• les enfants  – “the children”
• all other terms with  enfants  in them, such as  les petits-enfants
• les cousins  – “the cousins”

For the other collective terms, you would mention the plural of both the masculine and femenine members. Here are some examples:

• les frères et sœurs  – “the siblings”
• les oncles et tantes  – “the uncles and aunts”

When you’re referring to several members of the same gender, for examples “the sisters”, you would use the plural of the term, so  les sœurs .

When I’m speaking French with my parents, I don’t call my them *  mère  (“mother”) and père  (father).

For parents, the most common terms used in French are:

• la maman‎‏‏‎ ‎‏‎ – “the mom”
• le papa‎‏‏‎ ‎‏‎ – “the dad”

There isn’t a collective term for parents other than  parents  in French, you would simply say  maman et papa  (“Mom and Dad”).

Grandparents too have their own terms of endearment:

• la mamie‎‏‏‎ ‎‏‎ – “the granma”
• le papi‎‏‏‎ ‎‏‎ (sometimes also spelt  papy ) – “the grandpa”

You might also hear  mémé‎‏‏‎ ‎‏‎ (“grannie”) and  pépé‎‏‏‎ ‎‏‎ (“granda”), although they are more old fashioned words. My grandmother has never wanted her grandchildren to call her  mémé ; she says it makes her sound too old!

For siblings, adding  petit(e)  or  grand(e)  does the work:

• petite sœur  – “little sister”
• petit frère  – “little brother”
• grande sœur  – “big sister”
• grand frère  – “big brother”

When it comes to the rest of the family,  oncle  has a more tender version:  tonton‎‏‏‎ ‎‏‎ (“uncle”). In some places,  tante  also has a sweeter version in  tatie‎‏‏‎ ‎‏‎ . In Guadeloupe, where I grew up, children use  tatie  as an affectionate term for women, even if they aren’t their aunts.

You’ve learnt the basics of French family vocabulary. Now are you ready for some more specific phrases?

Here are a few phrases you might want to know to talk or write about your family:

• J’ai une grande famille  – “I have a big family.”
• J’aime ma famille  – “I love my family.”
• La famille d’abord  – “family comes first”
• La famille pour toujours  – “family forever”

Depending on how deep you get into conversation about your family tree, you might want to know how to say just that. In French, “family tree” is  arbre généalogique , which literally translates to “genealogical tree”.

French Cinema and Family – A Few Recommendations

French cinema likes to focus on family. Extended families, reconstituted families, adoptive families… All of them can be the foundation of great French comedy!

As promised at the beginning of the article, here are some of the most popular French films about family.

1.  Qu’est-ce qu’on a fait au Bon Dieu ?

Qu’est-ce qu’on a fait au Bon Dieu ? , or “Serial (Bad) Weddings” in English, is a comedy that features an extended family.

Claude and Marie, a Catholic bourgeois couple from a small village in the north of France, see their conservative views challenged by the marriages of their daughters. The three eldest have married men of different ethnic origins and religious beliefs, so their hopes for a Catholic son-in-law rest with their youngest.

This movie and its sequel, which both star some famous French comedians, is a window into complex French modern culture.

2.  C’est quoi cette famille?!

C’est quoi cette famille?! , or “We Are Family” in English, focuses on a reconstituted family.

After several marriages and divorces of both his parents, thirteen-year-old Bastien finds himself part of a very big reconstituted family. Tired of being moved from house to house for shared parenting, the many “half-siblings” decide to live together and have their parents move houses instead.

Even though this movie exaggerates for the sake of comedy, it taps into the reality of reconstituted families, which are very common in France.

3.  Il a déjà tes yeux

Il a déjà tes yeux , “He Even Has Your Eyes” in English, is the story of a black couple who can’t have biological children and decide to adopt a baby. The baby is four-months-old, and white. Several people around the couple refuse to accept the adoption.

There is also a mini series whose events take place after the movie.

You can now shop at the  père et fils  business and listen to your B&B host’s story, and understand everything! Well, at least the part about the family.

If you’re looking for more vocabulary to learn, you could start by checking out  this guide to 27 French colors  (with audio).

If you’re ready for something else, try working on grammar!  French pronouns  are a good starting point.

Or maybe try some of these articles:

• How to Speak French: The Faster Way to Learn French
• FrenchPod101 Review: 30 Days with FrenchPod101
• 111 Core French Words — The Most Commonly Used Words in French
• An In-Depth Review of the Staircase Method — Learn a Language through Story
• 30+ Free Online French Classes and Resources (Only the Best!)

Alice Cimino

Student, Freelance Content Creator

Alice is an undergraduate student who loves fiction, languages, and challenges. She's a bilingual by birth and a quadrilingual by consequence .

Speaks: French, Italian, Spanish, English

Have a 15-minute conversation in your new language after 90 days

HOW TO DESCRIBE YOUR FAMILY IN FRENCH

More often than not, we asked to talk about our family in French in an examination or when we visit our neighbouring French-speaking countries. This lesson focuses on the guidelines to clearly and simply describe your family in French with little or no difficulty. This lesson will focus on three main objectives:

1. Knowing how to call the members of your family in French. 2. Knowing how to describe the structure of your family in French. 3. Write an essay on the topic “ma famille” (my family).

I./ Knowing how to call the members of your family in French Les membres de la famille (members of the family)

II./ Knowing how to describe the structure of your family in French To describe the structure of your family in French, you need to follow the guidelines below: 1. Ton nom (your name). Here, you need to mention your name in any of the following formats: . Je m’appelle Elvis Fiati. Mon est Fiati, mon prénom est Elvis. (My name is Elvis Fiati. My surname is Fiati, my First name is Elvis) . Je me nomme Elvis Fiati. (I am by name Elvis Fiati) . On m’appelle Elvis Fiati. (I am called Elvis Fiati)

1. Ton village natale (your hometown) Here, you need to talk about where you come from as shown in the example below: . Nous sommes de Hohoe dans la région de la Volta du Ghana. . Nous venons de Krobo Adumase dans la région orientale du Ghana.

2. Combien de membres comprend ta famille (how many members is your family made up of?) In this case, you need to mention the number of members in your family depending on the type of family (nuclear or extended) you want to describe as shown in the examples below: . Ma famille comprend neuf (9) membres. (my family is made up of 9 members) . Il y a neuf membres dans ma famille. (there are 9 members in my family)

3. Nomme les membres de ta famille (name the members of your family) Here, you need not to mention their real names but who they are to you (your relationship with them). See the example below: . J’ai un frère, deux sœurs, mes parents, ma grand-mère, mon oncle, ma tante et moi-même (I have a brother, two sisters, my parents, my grandmother, my uncle, my aunt and myself)

4. Tu aimes ta famille? Pourquoi? (do you like your family? Why?) Here, you need to say whether you like your family or not and state why you do or do not like your family. See the examples below. . J’aime ma famille parce que nous sommes courageux et gentils. (I like my family because we are courageous and kind) . Ma famille est riche et honorée dans ma localité. J’aime bien ma famille. (My family is rich and honoured in my locality. I really like my family) III./ Write an essay on the topic “ma famille” (my family) Ma famille Je m’appelle John Mahama. Je suis de la famille Mahama. Nous sommes de Bole Banboi dans la région du nord au Ghana. Il y a cinq (5) personnes dans ma famille: Mr et Mme Mahama, mes parents, mon frère ainée Ibrahim Mahama, ma sœur Alima Mahama et moi-même. Nous habitons à Accra. Mon père et ma mère ont soixante-dix (70) et soixante-cinq (65) ans respectivement. Ibrahim a trente-huit (38) ans, Alima a vingt-cinq (25) ans et moi j’ai trente-cinq (35). Mon père est docteur, ma mère est comptable, mon frère est ingénieur, ma sœur est commerçante et moi-même je suis cultivateur et politicien. Notre plat favori est la Banku avec la sauce de gombo. Nous sommes chrétiens donc nous allons à l’église chaque dimanche. Mes parents dont riches et bien honorés dans la société et nous les enfants sommes très respectueux. J’aime beaucoup ma famille.

Try Yourself With This Exercise In not more than 180 words, describe your family to a friend in French. Thank you for reading. Kindly share the lesson for others to also benefit from it. Do you have a suggestion or contribution to make? Kindly drop it in the comment box. Merci.

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• THE FRENCH MASTER GH

Learn the vocabulary needed to describe, “Ma famille”, you will find a reading of family members in French with their corresponding translation in English. Here you will learn how to say brother and sister, friends, etc, in French.

Enjoy the reading about : Ma famille.

Reading : My family

Short video: the family.

VIDEO QUIZ Now watch the video and answer the following questions :

Practice more about the family: review more vocabulary, try a dictation, listen to the reading and enjoy the conversation:, more french readings practice here:.

Explore More French Reading Levels: Click on the level of your interest:

• Readings Level 1 
• Readings Level 2
• Readings Level 3
• Readings Level 4
• Readings Level 5
• Readings Level 6
• Readings Level 7
• Readings Level 8

French Resources for Level 1:

Do you want to practice another Resource? Click on the image of your interest:

How to talk about family (la famille) in French

How do you say “family” in French? It’s a question that seems pretty simple, but as is the case with families in general, sometimes things can get a little complicated!

Let’s look at some common French family vocabulary and clear up some confusion about things like talking about family members in French and how to differentiate between step-family and in-laws.

How do you say “family” in French?

The French word for “family” is la famille . It’s a feminine word and can also be used to say “relatives” in some cases.

If you want to talk about your family specifically, you can say ma famille . The pronoun “ma” is used because famille is a feminine word .

Family members in French

• les parents  – parents. This word can also be used to mean “relatives”, so pay attention to context.
• la mère  – mother
• Maman  – Mom/Mum
• le père  – father
• Papa  – Dad/Da
• l’enfant/les enfants  – child/children
• le fils  – son
• la fille  – daughter
• l’époux/l’épouse – spouse
• La famille étendue / la famille élargie – extended family
• le frère  – brother
• un frérot  – an affectionate term for “brother”. Can also be slang for bro/bruv.
• un frangin  – an affectionate term for brother.
• le demi-frère  – half-brother (a brother who shares one biological parent with you)
• la sœur  – sister
• une frangine  – an affectionate term for sister
• la demi-sœur – half-sister (a sister who shares one biological parent with you)

Note that there is no single French word for “sibling” or “siblings”. You have to specify if you’re talking about a  brother or sister, or you can say either mes fr è res, mes sœurs, or mes fr è res et soeurs.

The word la fratrie may also be used, but this is closer to “the children” in meaning.

Other immediate family members

• un tuteur/une tutrice  – legal guardian
• un animal de compagnie/ un animal domestique  – a pet
• le couple  – the couple
• le mari  – the husband
• la femme – the wife
• le/la fiancé(e)  – fiancé
• le/la conjoint(e)  – formal name for domestic partner
• le copain/la copine  – boyfriend/girlfriend

Note that in many French families with children, the parents may not be married.  In some cultures, this might be seen as controversial, but in France it’s not an issue .

Grandparents and grandchildren

• les grands-parents  – grandparents
• la grand-mère  – grandmother. Note that while this is a feminine word, grand  doesn’t take an e at the end.
• Mamie – Grandma/Gran. As in English, there can be some exceptions and variants for this term, but this is the most common way for someone to address their grandmother in France. Ex: Salut Mamie, comment vas-tu aujourd’hui ? (Hi Grandma, how are you doing today?)
• le grand-père  – grandfather
• Pépé/Papy  – Grandpa/Granddad. As in English, there can be some exceptions and variants for this term, but these are the most common ways for someone to address their grandfather in France. Ex: On fait un petit tour en village, Papy ?  (Shall we take a walk around the village, Granddad?)
• les petits-enfants  – grandchildren
• le petit-fils  -grandson
• la petite-fille  – granddaughter
• les arrière-grands-parents – great-grandparents
• l’arrière-grand-père  – great-grandfather
• l’arrière-grand-mère  – great-grandmother
• les arrière-petits-enfants  – great grandchildren

Aunts, uncles, cousins….

la tante  – aunt. Note that this word is almost always preceded by an article or possessive pronoun. For instance, in English you might say, “Aunt Judy is coming over.” But in French, you’d more likely hear, La tante Judy vient chez nous  or Ta tante Judy vient chez nous , not Tante  on its own.

(une) tatie  – aunt/auntie. This is an informal term of endearment for an aunt or great-aunt. It’s not used by everyone, but you will probably come across it. Note that unlike tante , this word isn’t always preceded by an article or possessive pronoun, and can be used to directly address one’s aunt.  Ex: Tatie Simone, la tante Clara nous attend au cafe.  (Auntie Simone, Aunt Clara is waiting for us at the cafe.)

l’oncle  – uncle. Note that this word is almost always preceded by an article or possessive pronoun. For instance, in English you might say, “Uncle Charles is coming over.” But in French, you’d more likely hear, L’oncle Charles vient chez nous  or Ton oncle Charles vient chez nous , not Oncle  on its own.

(un) tonton  – an informal, somewhat childish term for an uncle or a great-uncle, somewhere between “Uncle” and “Unky”. Note that unlike oncle , this word isn’t preceded by an article or possessive pronoun, and can be used to directly address one’s uncle. Ex: Voici mon oncle Pierre. Tonton Pierre, je te présente Sylvie, ma copine.  (This is my uncle Pierre. Uncle Pierre, I’d like you to meet Sylvie, my girlfriend.)

le neveu  – nephew

la nièce  – niece

un cousin/une cousine  – a cousin. As with some other words on this list, this word is usually preceded by an article or possessive pronoun.  Ex: La Cousine Bette est un superbe livre écrit par Honoré de Balzac. ( Cousin Bette  is an amazing book by Honoré de Balzac.)

Godparents and godchildren

• le parrain  –  godfather. Even if you’re not familiar with the Catholic practice of naming godparents (usually relatives or close family friends who would care for a child if their parents died – at least traditionally speaking), you’ve probably come across this word, since it’s the French title of the film The Godfather .
• la marraine  – godmother. Fellow fairy tale fans, note that this word is not the same when you’re talking about a fairy godmother: that would be une bonne fée .
• le filleul – godson
• la filleule  – goddaughter

Step-family and in-laws in French

You may wonder why these two categories of family members are grouped together. That’s because in French, both are said the same way:

• les beaux-parents  – mother- and father -in-law OR stepparents
• la belle-mère – mother-in-law OR stepmother
• le beau-père – father-in-law OR stepfather
• le beau-frère – brother-in-law OR stepbrother
• la belle-sœur – sister-in-law OR stepsister
• le beau-fils – son-in-law OR stepson
• la belle-fille – daughter-in-law OR stepdaughter
• la belle-famille – in-laws or stepfamily. Note that it is far more common to hear this word used to mean “in-laws”, though.

Associating both of these kinds of family members with the word beau  or belle  (beautiful, lovely, handsome) probably came from the fact that the initial intention was to put them in a positive light…but it can lead to a lot of confusion.

For example, if I want to talk about my half-brother and my brother-in-law in the same sentence in French, I could say: Lors de mon dernier voyage aux États-Unis, j’ai vu mon beau-fr è re et mon beau-fr è re.  (On my last trip to the US, I saw my stepbrother and my brother-in-law.)

Luckily, there are ways to avoid confusion, both as a speaker and a listener.

If you’re listening to someone else, try to pay attention to context. For instance, if the person talking is a child, it’s likely they mean “stepbrother”, since most of the time siblings are close enough in age that the child probably doesn’t have any married brothers or sisters. Of course, that’s not a total certainty.

If you’re reading a story, you can also use context. for instance, the wicked stepmother is a typical trope in fairy tales, so if you come across the word belle-m è re  in a French fairy tale , it probably doesn’t mean “mother-in-law”.  

On the other hand, in more contemporary storytelling, the difficult mother-in-law is a common trope, so if you watch a French sitcom or sketch comedy show  and hear someone complaining about their belle-mère , that’s who they probably mean.

When you’re talking to a French person, the good news is that you can always ask for clarification – even simply by using intonation: For instance: –  Mon beau-fr è re est un passionn é  de veilles voitures.   – Ton beau-frère ? – Oui, le mari de ma sœur.  (“My beau-frère  is a fan of old cars.” “Your beau-frère ?” “My sister’s husband.”)

Some people may even clarify in advance, the same as you might in English. It’s not uncommon to hear something like: Nous sommes partis en vacances avec mon fr è re et sa femme (We went on vacation with my brother and his wife) or La femme de mon fr è re travaille dans le IT.  (My brother’s wife works in IT.)

There are a two words that only apply to stepfamily members or in-laws, though. These are:

un gendre – a very common word for son-in-law

une bru  – a less common, somewhat old-fashioned term for “daughter-in-law”

How to address family members in French

As you can see from the list, in most cases, you have to use an article or possessive pronoun when talking about family members in a general way in French. Some family members can also be called by their title in lieu of their name.

For instance, although this would be considered formal or old-fashioned, a French person could directly address their mother as M è re  or their grandfather as Grand-p è re . You could say this is the English equivalent of someone addressing their mom as “Mother” rather than “Mom” or “Mum”, and “Grandfather” rather than “Grandpa”, “Granddad”, and so on. (These family members are more typically directly addressed as Maman  and Papy , respectively.)

The French family members that you can normally do this with are:

In addition, you may hear frère  or soeur  used either abstractly, as in poetry, or as a religious title for a monk or nun.

In most other cases, all other French family members’ titles would have to be used with an article or possessive pronoun.

That said, there are some exceptions. For instance, Scrooge McDuck (Picsou) is a very popular character in France. Picsou’s nephews often address him directly as Oncle Picsou .

Typically, though, when addressing a family member directly in French, you either omit their title or use a more affectionate one.

For example, my French husband used to call his uncle Tonton Yves  when talking to him directly as a child. Now that he’s an adult, he just calls him by his first name, Yves.

On the other hand, when he speaks to his mom, he always calls her Maman . His grandmother is always addressed as Mamie , and he always called his great-aunt Tatie .

Keep in mind that this is just a general rule. Each family is different, and some may not even use typical or traditional family member titles in the first place, but rather nicknames or the like. You can think of this the way many people in English have fond nicknames for their grandparents – for example, instead of Granddad or Grandpa, they might say “Pop-Pop.”

The most important preposition for talking about family relationships in French

In English, we use the possessive form a lot when talking about family: My mother’s brother; My uncle’s cat; My sisters’ farm, etc.

The same goes for French, which means you’ll often see and use the preposition de  when family is being described or discussed: le frère de ma mère ; le chat de mon oncle ; la ferme de mes sœurs , etc.

French family vocabulary

Here are some common family-related words and expressions you’ll come across in French.

la famille – the family. Note that this word can also have a more figurative meaning, or a scientific one or mathematical one. You can visit this helpful webpage to find a list of famille ’s many meanings .  

la famille [nom]  – the ___ family. Example: C’est une famille presque aussi bizarre que   la famille Addams.  (This family is nearly as bizarre as the Addams Family.)

Les [nom]  – The ___s : Ex: Voici nos voisins, les Dupont.  (Those are our neighbors, the Duponts.)  Note that, unlike in English, while the article in French is plural, the family’s name stays singular.

en famille  – among family OR “family” as an adjective. For example: Hier soir, on a dîné en famille.  (Last night, we had a family dinner.)

un foyer  – household

un ménage  – household

une famille monoparentale  – a single-parent family

une famille d’adoption  – a found family (a group of friends who become like your family)

une famille d’accueil  – a foster family. Note that this term can also sometimes be used to denote a host family, when dealing with exchange students, for instance.

une famille recomposée  – a blended family (a family where the parents have remarried/gotten together and now there are step-parents, step-siblings, etc.)

un fils adopté/un fils adoptif/une fille adoptée/une fille adoptive  – adopted son/adopted daughter. Ex: C’est le fils adoptif de mon oncle.  (He’s my uncle’s adopted son.) Note that, as in English,there is nothing wrong with specifying that someone is adopted, in some contexts. But family is family and so it isn’t polite or normal or necessary to point out that someone is adopted in most situations.

avoir un air de famille (avec)  – to have a family resemblance (with). Ex: Ça se voit que c’est ton cousin, vous avez un vrai air de famille !  (You can tell that you’re cousins; you two really have a strong family resemblance!)

C’est de famille. – It runs in the family.

You can find more family-related French words and expressions  in this Wiktionnaire entry.  

How can I learn about French family life?

If you’d like to learn more about family life in France, our list of statistics about France is a good place to start.  

Once you’ve learned the basics, you can gain more insights by reading books in French and watching French movies and TV shows  – after all, families of one kind or another are kind of ubiquitous.

An easy way to practice French family vocabulary is to describe your family, either written down on your own, or to online friends and conversation partners .  You can also imagine a family and write about it in French!

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Alysa Salzberg is an American writer, worrier, teacher, and cookie enthusiast who has lived in Paris, France, for more than a decade. She has taught English and French for more than ten years, most notably as an assistante de langue vivante for L'Education Nationale. She recently published her first novel, Hearts at Dawn , a "Beauty and the Beast" retelling that takes place during the 1870 Siege of Paris. You can read about her adventures here , or feel free to stop by her website .

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ARTICLES ABOUT

How to talk about family in french.

Whether you’re a native Spanish speaker, you only know English or you’re fluent in French, there’s one thing you share with almost every other person on the planet — you have a family. Sure, you may not always like that reality, but it’s one you can’t readily avoid; family is an essential part of what it means to be human. So when you’re learning a new language like French, Italian or Spanish it only makes sense that you should learn how to talk about your family in French, Italian or Spanish — or whatever your target language is.

Everyone around the world will likely need to talk about their family at some point, so it’s one of the most valuable language skills you can develop as you set out on your language learning journey. Plus, it makes great fodder for small talk when you’re getting to know someone (though some cultures might consider it a little too intimate and personal for first impressions, so be wary of that). 

If it’s the French language you’re pursuing, look no further; we’ve got your comprehensive guide to talking about family in French right here. Make sure to click the play buttons next to each word to hear how they’re pronounced. Learning about la famille has never been easier! 

The Must-Know Terms For Talking About Family In French

family — la famille

relatives — la famille élargie

extended family — la famille éloignée

mother — la mère

father — le père

parents — les parents

sister — la s œur

brother — le frère

siblings — les frères et s œurs

daughter — la fille

son — le fils

children — les enfants

grandmother — la grand-mère

grandfather — le grand-père

grandparents — les grands-parents

granddaughter — la petite-fille

grandson — le petit-fils

grandchildren — les petits-enfants

aunt — la tante

uncle — l’oncle

niece — la nièce

nephew — le neveu

cousin (female) — la cousine

cousin (male) — le cousin

cousins — les cousins

La Famille: Family Vocabulary in French with Audio

Find out more about the French family vocabulary, and get to know French culture better.

Family in French: Key Vocabulary

Family-related expressions in french, family in the french culture, french family traditions.

The family is an integral part of French culture. A person's family can include relatives such as grandparents, siblings, and cousins, as well as other people - step-sisters, parents-in-law, and many more. Family members often share a strong emotional connection and social bonds which are often based on mutual affection and care.

This article will provide you with new words related to la famille that you can learn to better understand the topic and expand your French vocabulary . We will also share with you the family traditions in French as well as tell you more about the way French families function.

By the end of this article, you should have a good understanding of the French concept of family and how it differs from other cultures. This can help you get to know French culture better as well as communicate with the French native speakers without making mistakes or offending someone accidentally.

Now, let's dive right in - and learn everything you need about the French family vocabulary.

Want to get some practice right away? Try a French story here:

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La famille - French for “family” - refers not only to the immediate family - parents and their children - but also other relatives, such as grandparents, aunts, uncles, and cousins.

Here is the important French vocabulary related to la famille that you should know:

les membres de la famille – family members

mum (mommy)

les parents

les enfants

la famille élargie – extended family

le cousin / la cousine

cousin (m/f)

les grands-parents

grandparents

le grand-père

grandfather

la grand-mère

grandmother

les petits-enfants

grandchildren

le petit-fils

la petite-fille

granddaughter

le cousin germain / la cousine germaine

first cousin

le cousin issu de germain / la cousine issue de germaine

second cousin

la belle-famille – family-in-law/stepfamily

le beau-fils

son-in-law or stepson

la belle-fille

daughter-in-law or stepdaughter

le beau-père

father-in-law or stepfather

la belle-mère

mother-in-law or stepmother

le demi-frère

half-brother or stepbrother

la demi-soeur

half-sister or stepsister

le beau-frère

brother-in-law

la belle-soeur

sister-in-law

beaux-parents

famille adoptive – adoptive family

père adoptif

adoptive father

mère adoptive

adoptive mother

fils adoptif

adopted son

fille adoptive

adopted daughter

père biologique

biological father

mère biologique

biological mother

famille nourricière / famille d’accueil – foster family

père nourricier / d’accueil

foster father

mère nourricière / d’accueil

foster mother

enfant placé dans une famille

foster child

other important family-related vocabulary:

la famille recomposée

blended family

la famille monoparentale

single-parent family

les membres de la famille

family members

goddaughter

l’aîné / l’aînée

the eldest (m/f)

le cadet / la cadette

younger (m/f)

le benjamin / la benjamine

the youngest (m/f)

les jumeaux / les jumelles

twins (m/f)

les triplés / les triplées

les arrière-grands-parents

great grandparents

les arrière-petits-enfants

great grandchildren

les proches

There are many different French expressions that are related to the French family vocabulary. Here are a few of the most common ones:

• Un air de famille – family likeness/family resemblance.
• Laver son linge sale en famille – to settle conflicts in private (literally translates to “wash your dirty laundry within the family”).
• Faire partie de la famille – to be a part of the family.
• S'entendre comme larrons en foire avec sa famille – to have an easy relationship/to get along with one's family.
• Il ne faut pas pousser mémé dans les orties / Faut pas pousser mémé dans les orties – Don’t push it or don’t exaggerate it (lit. Don’t push granny into the stinging nettles).
• Un oncle d’Amérique – a rich person from your family who moved abroad a long time ago (lit. an uncle from America).

• C’est de famille! – It runs in the family !

The family traditions in France date back to the 19th century. In those times, there was a clear separation of roles among members of French families - male leadership and female submission. The family unit used to be a true ensemble where each family member had a particular task and responsibility.

This changed with the French Revolution in 1789, as well as throughout the 20th century - from the World Wars to today's modern times.

Modern Families in France

Today, the traditional family structure is no longer as common as it once was. In fact, the stay-at-home mother is now a rarity. Families come in all shapes and sizes, and there is no "one size fits all" model for them.

Some families are made up of a mother and father with children, while others include a single parent , grandparents, stepfamily or siblings who live together.

One thing that remains the same, however, is the importance of family in French culture. Here, family relations are not limited to just the “nuclear family” – parents and their kids. Cousins often have close relationships, and extended family members are typically very supportive of one another - both emotionally and financially.

The French have a long and proud history of family traditions and many of these date back to the 19th century.

In today’s France, many children stay at home with their parents until they finish their education. Those who live independently still visit their close family - parents, and grandparents - during weekends. Celebrating holidays together is also common.

Family Holidays

One of the most important French family traditions is the celebration of Christmas . This holiday is considered to be a very important time for relatives to come together and spend time with one another. Christmas dinner is usually a big event, and family members often exchange gifts.

Another popular French family tradition is the celebration of la fête des mères (Mother's Day). This holiday is celebrated each year on the last Sunday in May, and it is a time for children to show their mothers how much they love and appreciate them. Families often go out for this day - for example, have a picnic in a park, go on a river cruise or have a day trip outside of the city.

Other French family holidays and traditions include:

• Celebrating the birth of children with les fêtes des naissances (birthday showers).
• Having le repas de famille (family meals).
• Inviting extended family over for dîner (to have dinner) on Sundays.

• Hosting grandes réunions familiales (large family gatherings) on special occasions such as anniversaries and weddings.

Now you should be familiar with all the important French family vocabulary, as well as the main traits of French family life. Of course, this is just a start - to get the hang of it and be able to use these French words and expressions actively and without thinking much, you should practice regularly - for example, with the Langster app .

Nevertheless, if you want to experience that French family culture, use French family vocabulary, and maybe even take part in the French family traditions, going to France is definitely the thing to do. There, you can make new friends, meet French people - and who knows, maybe one day you’ll be a dinner guest at their home?

Beata Hardzei

Beata Hardzei loves languages and shares this passion through her writing. Speaking English, Polish, Russian, and French, she explores the nuances of foreign languages, aiming to make learning feel more like a journey than a task. Beata's background as a teacher and translator enriches her insights, helping you see language learning as an accessible, enriching experience.

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All The French Words You Need To Talk About Your Family

• Read time 12 mins

Do you know the words needed to identify members of your family in French? 👨‍👩‍👧‍👦

It’s clearly important, especially if someone asks you about your family and, for example, wants to know how old your frère is.

If you’ve found that talking about your family members once you’ve introduced yourself is a bit difficult because you don’t have the French vocabulary, this guide will help.

This guide will help you revise what you’ve covered in your French course .

How do you say family in French?

The word for “family” is la famille .

It’s a feminine noun, which you can tell by looking at the feminine article la .

To say “family members”, use the phrase les membres de la famille . It’s not too difficult to remember, since the word “members” is practically a cognate.

What does parent mean in French?

The French word parent has two meanings:

• It can refer to your “mother” or “father” and, in this sense, is used to refer to your “parents”. In this sense, it’s not difficult to remember because it’s the same in English.
• The word parent can also mean “relative”, and is used as a French adjective and a noun in this regard.

For example, you wanted to tell someone that you don’t have relatives in Canada, you could say:

Je n’ai pas de parents au Canada.

Alternatively, you could use parents as an adjective to describe how you are related to one of your family members.

In this sense, parents means “related”. Here’s an example of how to use it:

Nous ne sommes pas parentes.

Essential vocabulary for speaking about and identifying family in French

Now that we’ve covered some of the basics, let’s turn our attention to the essential vocabulary needed to speak about and identify family in French.

I’ve split this section into immediate and wider members of the family in French.

Vocabulary to speak about immediate family in French

Here are some of the vocabulary you can use to speak about your immediate family in French.

Which of these do you know?

Use mère when you want to say “mother” in French. This feminine French noun can be used to talk about your female parent.

Usage example:

Ma mère aime cuisiner des plats italiens.

Use père when you want to say “father” in French. This masculine French noun can be used to identify and speak about your male parent.

Mon père aime réparer les ordinateurs et créer des logiciels.

Les parents can be used to talk about both your mother and father in French. This phrase is a cognate, so you’ll have less trouble remembering it.

Mes parents se sont rencontrés à l’université. Ils ont tous deux étudié la littérature française.

Sœur is a feminine French noun that translates to English as “sister”. Use it when you want to identify your female sibling in French.

Ma sœur aime lire des livres et regarder des films espagnols.

Frère is the French noun for “brother”. If you’re describing your male sibling, who has the same parents as you, use frère to identify them.

Est-ce que ton frère aime le football ?

Frères et sœurs

The French word for “siblings” is frères et sœurs . This phrase literally translates to “brothers and sisters” in English.

Les frères et sœurs de Louisa se disputent toujours à propos des programmes télévisés qu’ils regardent.

Combining the words “grand” and “mère”, meaning “grand” and “mother” in English, this French noun means “grandmother”. If you’re refering to your father’s mother, or your mother’s mother, use grand-mère .

Sophie avait l’habitude d’aller à l’église avec sa grand-mère tous les week-ends.

This French noun combines the words “grand” and “père”, which mean “grand” and “father. It means “grandfather” in English and can be used to refer to your mother’s father, or your father’s father.

Sophie demandait des chocolats à son grand-père tous les samedis.

Grands-parents

Combining the words “grands” and “parents” this French noun means “grandparents”. You can use it to speak about the parents of your parents.

Leurs grands-parents sont nés en 1920.

Femme means “wife” in French. It can be used to refer to a married woman in a spousal relationship with her husband.

Sa femme voulait divorcer mais a décidé de réessayer.

Mari means “husband” in French. Use it to refer to a married man in a spousal relationship with his wife.

Son mari l’aimait beaucoup mais ne voulait pas d’enfant.

Use fille when you want to talk about a “daughter” or someone’s daughter. Note the difference between enfant and fille . Use fille to talk about a daughter of any age, and enfant when talking about a child.

Notre fille étudie la langue espagnole. Elle veut aller au Pérou.

Fils means “son” in English. Use this French noun to identify someone’s son in French.

Notre fils étudie la langue italienne. Il veut aller en Italie.

Enfants , which is similar to the partial cognate “infants”, means children in English. Use this French noun when referring to more than one child.

Nos enfants aiment jouer aux jeux vidéo. Ils ne font pas de sport.

Petite fille

Petite fille means “granddaughter” in English. Use this French noun to refer to the daughter of your daughter or the daughter of your son.

Ma petite-fille me ressemble. Elle a la même couleur de cheveux.

Petit fils translates to English as “grandson”. This French noun can be used to refer to the son of your daughter or the son of your son.

Mon petit-fils ressemble à son père. Leur nez et la forme de leurs yeux sont identiques.

Petits enfants

Use petits enfants as the plural form of petit enfant to identify or talk about several “grandchildren” in the French language.

Tous ses petits-enfants sont gentils les uns avec les autres. Ils sont polis et respectueux.

Vocabulary to speak about wider family in French

Let’s now focus on the vocabulary you can use to speak about your extended family in French. Which ones do you recognise? Which ones do you need to revise?

Tante means “aunt” in English. Use this to refer to the sister of your mother, the sister of your brother, or your uncle’s wife.

Ma tante fait des gâteaux le week-end et les partage avec nous.

Use oncle to refer to your “uncle” in French. This is a sort of cognate that makes oncle simpler to remember.

Mon oncle nous aide à installer des logiciels sur nos ordinateurs.

Grand-tante

A grand-tante , which combines the words grand and tante , is your “great-aunt” or “great-aunty” in English. Keep in mind that this French noun contains the word tante , meaning aunt, which will help you to remember this one.

Sa grand-tante est décédée la semaine dernière. Il était très triste.

Grand-oncle

Grand-oncle means “great-uncle” in English. Try to remember that oncle means “uncle”, which will help you remember this family member more easily.

Ma grand-oncle est toujours en vie. Il a cent deux ans.

Cousine is a French noun that means “female cousin”. Use this to refer to the daughter of your aunt or uncle.

Ma cousine a le même âge que moi. Nous avons tous les deux trente et un ans.

Just like the Spanish family members , “cousin” has a masculine and feminine word. Cousin is a masculine French noun that means “male cousin”. Use this noun to refer to the son of your aunt or uncle.

Mon cousin est plus âgé que moi. Nous aimons tous les deux patiner et manger du chocolat.

Cousins is the plural form of the French noun cousin . Use it to refer to several cousins – that is the sons and daughters of your aunts and uncles.

Tous mes cousins aiment chanter et danser. Je n’aime pas ça.

This cognate, though pronounced differently in French, means “niece” in English. Use this noun to refer to the female child of your brother or sister. Your nièce can also be the daughter of your brother- or sister-in-law.

Je suis allé à l’hôpital quand ma nièce est née. Elle était petite, mais ne pleurait pas beaucoup.

A neveu is your “nephew”. Use this French noun to talk about the male son of your brother or your sister. Your neveu can also be the son of your brother- or sister-in-law.

Mon neveu est très méchant. Mais il est aussi très drôle.

Belle-mère means “stepmother”. You can use this French noun to talk about a female partner of your father, where the female partner is not your biological mother and has married your father after divorce or separation.

Je ne connais pas très bien ma belle-mère, mais elle a l’air très gentille.

Beau-père means “stepfather”. Use this French noun to refer to the male partner of your mother, where the male partner is not your biological father, or has married your mother after separation.

Je connais très bien mon beau-père. Il est très sérieux mais très gentil.

Belle fille

Use belle fille to refer to your “daughter-in-law” when speaking in French.

J’aime ma belle-fille comme si elle était mon propre enfant.

Use beau fils to refer to your “son-in-law” when speaking in French.

Mon beau-fils est très intelligent et aimant.

Containing the words demi (meaning “half”) and sœur (meaning “sister”) demi-sœur means “half-sister” or “step sister”.

Ma demi-sœur vit au Canada. Je ne l’ai jamais rencontrée.

Containing the words demi (meaning “half”) and frère (meaning “brother”) demi-frère means “half-brother” or “step brother”.

Mon demi-frère vit en Côte d’Ivoire. Je lui ai rendu visite l’année dernière.

Use marraine to refer to your godmother in French.

Ma marraine s’occupe de moi quand je ne vais pas bien.

Use parrain to refer to your godfather in French.

Mon parrain m’a appris à attraper un ballon de rugby.

Your goddaughter is your filleule in French.

Sa filleule n’a jamais réalisé qu’elle n’était pas sa mère biologique.

Your godson is your filleul in French.

Mon filleul est un garçon heureux et énergique.

Belle-sœur means “sister-in-law” in French. Use this French noun to refer to the daughter of your stepmother or stepfather.

Je suis tellement contente d’avoir une belle-sœur. Mon frère était très ennuyeux.

Beau-frère means “brother-in-law” in French. Use this French noun to refer to the son of your stepmother or stepfather.

Mon beau-frère n’arrête pas de parler. Il parle de choses ennuyeuses.

Speak about family in French and ask others about theirs

If you’re in a country where French is spoken , being able to talk about your family members is important. It’s crucial that you learn the right French words to describe your family.

Looking at the list, it might seem daunting.

But practising a little bit each day, and memorising these nouns will give you more confidence when chatting about your relatives.

Any other French family members I missed?

Comment below.

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Common French phrases: talking about family

Family is an important topic of conversation in any language, and being able to talk about your family in French is a useful skill.

In this lesson, we’ll go over some common French phrases for talking about family.

Ma famille est très importante pour moi. (My family is very important to me.) This phrase is used to indicate the significance of your family in your life.

J’ai une grande famille. (I have a big family.) This phrase is used to describe the size of your family.

Mes parents s’appellent ____ et _____. (My parents are named ____ and _____.) This phrase is used to introduce the names of your parents.

Mon père/mère est _____. (My father/mother is ___.) This phrase is used to describe the occupation or characteristics of your parents.

J’ai ____ frères/sœurs. (I have ____ brothers/sisters.) This phrase is used to describe the number of siblings you have.

Mon frère/ma sœur s’appelle _____. (My brother/sister’s name is _____.) This phrase is used to introduce the names of your siblings.

Ma famille est originaire de ____. (My family is originally from ___.) This phrase is used to describe the origins of your family.

Nous avons une tradition de ____. (We have a tradition of ___.) This phrase is used to describe a tradition that your family has.

Nous aimons passer du temps ensemble. (We like to spend time together.) This phrase is used to describe the time you spend with your family.

Ma famille me soutient toujours. (My family always supports me.) This phrase is used to indicate the support you receive from your family.

Learning these common French phrases for talking about family will help you to communicate more effectively with native French speakers and better express yourself in a French-speaking environment. Additionally, it is helpful to learn some basic French vocabulary related to family, such as different family members or family-related activities. With practice and persistence, you’ll soon be able to speak confidently about your family in French.

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How to Write an Essay in French

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When it comes to expressing your thoughts in French , there’s nothing better than the essay.

It is, after all, the favorite form of such famed French thinkers as Montaigne, Chateaubriand, Houellebecq and Simone de Beauvoir.

In this post, I’ve outlined the four most common types of essays in French, ranked from easiest to most difficult, to help you get to know this concept better. 

Why Are French Essays Different?

Must-have french phrases for writing essays, 4 types of french essays and how to write them, 1. text summary (synthèse de texte).

• 2. Text Commentary (Commentaire de texte)

3. Dialectic Dissertation (Thèse, Antithèse, Synthèse)

• 4. Progressive Dissertation (Plan progressif)

And one more thing...

Download: This blog post is available as a convenient and portable PDF that you can take anywhere. Click here to get a copy. (Download)

Writing an essay in French is not the same as those typical 5-paragraph essays you’ve probably written in English.

In fact, there’s a whole other logic that has to be used to ensure that your essay meets French format standards and structure. It’s not merely writing your ideas in another language .

And that’s because the French use Cartesian logic (also known as Cartesian doubt) , developed by René Descartes , which requires a writer to begin with what is known and then lead the reader through to the logical conclusion: a paragraph that contains the thesis. Through the essay, the writer will reject all that is not certain or all that is subjective in his or her quest to find the objective truth.

Sound intriguing? Read on for more!

Before we get to the four main types of essays, here are a few French phrases that will be especially helpful as you delve into essay-writing in French:

Introductory phrases , which help you present new ideas.

Connecting phrases , which help you connect ideas and sections.

Contrasting phrases , which help you juxtapose two ideas.

Concluding phrases , which help you to introduce your conclusion.

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The text summary or synthèse de texte  is one of the easiest French writing exercises to get a handle on. It essentially involves reading a text and then summarizing it in an established number of words, while repeating no phrases that are in the original text. No analysis is called for.

A  synthèse de texte  should follow the same format as the text that is being synthesized. The arguments should be presented in the same way, and no major element of the original text should be left out of the  synthèse.

Here is an informative post about writing a synthèse de texte , written for French speakers. 

The text summary is a great exercise for exploring the following French language elements:

• Synonyms , as you will need to find other words to describe what is said in the original text.
• Nominalization , which involves turning verbs into nouns and generally cuts down on word count.
• Vocabulary , as the knowledge of more exact terms will allow you to avoid periphrases and cut down on word count.

While beginners may wish to work with only one text, advanced learners can synthesize as many as three texts in one text summary. 

Since a text summary is simple in its essence, it’s a great writing exercise that can accompany you through your entire learning process.

2. Text Commentary  (Commentaire de texte)

A text commentary or commentaire de texte   is the first writing exercise where the student is asked to present an analysis of the materials at hand, not just a summary.

That said, a  commentaire  de texte  is not a reaction piece. It involves a very delicate balance of summary and opinion, the latter of which must be presented as impersonally as possible. This can be done either by using the third person (on) or the general first person plural (nous) . The singular first person (je) should never be used in a  commentaire de texte.

A commentaire de texte  should be written in three parts:

• An introduction , where the text is presented.
• An argument , where the text is analyzed.
• A conclusion , where the analysis is summarized and elevated.

Here is a handy in-depth guide to writing a successful commentaire de texte,  written for French speakers.

Unlike with the synthesis, you will not be able to address all elements of a text in a commentary. You should not summarize the text in a commentary, at least not for the sake of summarizing. Every element of the text that you speak about in your commentary must be analyzed.

To successfully analyze a text, you will need to brush up on your figurative language. Here are some great resources to get you started:

• Here’s an introduction to figurative language in French.
• This guide to figurative language  presents the different elements in useful categories.
• This guide , intended for high school students preparing for the BAC—the exam all French high school students take, which they’re required to pass to go to university—is great for seeing examples of how to integrate figurative language into your commentaries.
• Speaking of which, here’s an example of a corrected commentary from the BAC, which will help you not only include figurative language but get a head start on writing your own commentaries.

The French answer to the 5-paragraph essay is known as the  dissertation .  Like the American 5-paragraph essay, it has an introduction, body paragraphs and a conclusion. The stream of logic, however, is distinct.

There are actually two kinds of  dissertation,  each of which has its own rules.

The first form of  dissertation  is the dialectic dissertation , better known as  thèse, antithèse, synthèse . In this form, there are actually only two body paragraphs. After the introduction, a thesis is posited. Following the thesis, its opposite, the antithesis, is explored (and hopefully, debunked). The final paragraph, what we know as the conclusion, is the  synthesis , which addresses the strengths of the thesis, the strengths and weaknesses of the antithesis, and concludes with the reasons why the original thesis is correct.

For example, imagine that the question was, “Are computers useful to the development of the human brain?” You could begin with a section showing the ways in which computers are useful for the progression of our common intelligence—doing long calculations, creating in-depth models, etc.

Then you would delve into the problems that computers pose to human intelligence, citing examples of the ways in which spelling proficiency has decreased since the invention of spell check, for example. Finally, you would synthesize this information and conclude that the “pro” outweighs the “con.”

The key to success with this format is developing an outline before writing. The thesis must be established, with examples, and the antithesis must be supported as well. When all of the information has been organized in the outline, the writing can begin, supported by the tools you have learned from your mastery of the synthesis and commentary.

Here are a few tools to help you get writing:

• Here’s a great guide to writing a dialectic dissertation .
• Here’s an example of a plan for a dialectic dissertation , showing you the three parts of the essay as well as things to consider when writing a dialectic dissertation.

4. Progressive Dissertation ( Plan progressif)

The progressive dissertation is slightly less common, but no less useful, than the first form.

The progressive form basically consists of examining an idea via multiple points of view—a sort of deepening of the understanding of the notion, starting with a superficial perspective and ending with a deep and profound analysis.

If the dialectic dissertation is like a scale, weighing pros and cons of an idea, the progressive dissertation is like peeling an onion, uncovering more and more layers as you get to the deeper crux of the idea.

Concretely, this means that you will generally follow this layout:

• A first, elementary exploration of the idea.
• A second, more philosophical exploration of the idea.
• A third, more transcendent exploration of the idea.

This format for the dissertation is more commonly used for essays that are written in response to a philosophical question, for example, “What is a person?” or “What is justice?”

Let’s say the question was, “What is war?” In the first part, you would explore dictionary definitions—a basic idea of war, i.e. an armed conflict between two parties, usually nations. You could give examples that back up this definition, and you could narrow down the definition of the subject as much as needed. For example, you might want to make mention that not all conflicts are wars, or you might want to explore whether the “War on Terror” is a war.

In the second part, you would explore a more philosophical look at the topic, using a definition that you provide. You first explain how you plan to analyze the subject, and then you do so. In French, this is known as  poser une problématique  (establishing a thesis question), and it usually is done by first writing out a question and then exploring it using examples: “Is war a reflection of the base predilection of humans for violence?”

In the third part, you will take a step back and explore this question from a distance, taking the time to construct a natural conclusion and answer for the question.

This form may not be as useful in as many cases as the first type of essay, but it’s a good form to learn, particularly for those interested in philosophy. Here’s an in-depth guide  to writing a progressive dissertation.

As you progress in French and become more and more comfortable with writing, try your hand at each of these types of writing exercises, and even with other forms of the dissertation . You’ll soon be a pro at everything from a synthèse de texte to a dissertation!

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Meet a French Family: Easy French-English Bilingual Story

• Pronunciation & Conversation
• Resources For Teachers

This story will help you practice your French vocabulary about family in context for when you next meet with them . This story is a bit twisted to help you formulate more complex familial situations using French vocabulary for recomposed families. 

Discussing Family in French

Camille et Anne parlent de leurs familles. Camille and Ann are talking about their families.

Camille Et toi Anne, ta famille est originaire d’où ? What about you Anne, where is your family from?

Anne Ma famille est américaine. Du côté de ma famille paternelle, j’ai des origines françaises, et des origines anglaises du côté maternelle. My family is American. French on my father side and English on my mother side. 

How to Say "Do You Have Siblings" in French?

Camille Et tu as des frères et soeurs ? And do you have any siblings?

Anne C’est un peu compliqué : je n’ai pas de frère ni de soeur de sang, mais mes parents ont divorcé quand j’étais très jeune, et mon père s’est remarié avec une femme qui avait déjà trois enfants. J’ai grandi avec eux et je les considère comme mes frères et soeurs. Et toi ? It’s a bit complicated: I don’t have any blood siblings, but my parents got divorced when I was very young, and my dad remarried a woman who already had three children. I grew up with them and I consider them like my siblings. What about you?

Talking About your Step Family in French

Camille Moi, aussi je viens d’une famille recomposée. Mon père est mort quand j’étais bébé, et ma mère a rencontré un homme beaucoup plus âgée qu’elle, qui avait déjà deux enfants adultes. Donc j’ai des neveux et des nièces qui ont le même âge que moi. Et puis je suis restée très proche de ma famille paternelle aussi. Mon père avait une soeur qui est presque comme une seconde mère pour moi. Ma tante a une fille de mon âge, ma cousine germaine donc, avec qui j’ai passé toutes mes vacances. Elle a eu des enfants en même temps que moi, et donc nos enfants, cousins issus de germains, sont aussi super proches. I too come from a blended family. My father died when I was a baby, and my mother met a man much older than she was, who already had two grown-up children. So, I have nephew and nieces who are the same age as me. And I remained very close to my father’s family also. My father had a sister how is like a second mother for me. My aunt has a daughter the same age as I, therefore my direct cousin, with whom I spent all my vacation. She had children at the same time as I did, and therefore or children, second cousins, are also very close.

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Family In French Vocabulary: Useful Terms To Use

By: Author Christine Rogador

Posted on Published: May 19, 2021  - Last updated: November 7, 2022

Do you want to learn the French terms for the family ?

The traditional French family is close-knit and well-integrated. Family is on top of every family member’s priority, preserving their close relationships.

Some French children even stay at their parents’ place until adulthood, leaving the nest only when they get married. More often than not, they tend to live close by, too.

So, we see that family is a very significant part of French culture.

The French language , another major element in the French culture, is as beautiful as the French people and France itself. Although the family is intrinsically the same for all cultures across the globe, the French vocabulary for family members is a bit different. 

Things you'll find in this article

Immediate Family In French Vocabulary

Special french family vocabulary, relatives in french vocabulary, family in-laws in french, other french family terms.

Read on to find out more, starting with the most useful French family vocabulary words you should know.

la famille  – family

les parents – parents

le père – father

le papa – papa / daddy

la mère – mother

la maman – mama / mommy

le famille adoptive – adoptive family

le père biologique – biological father

la mère biologique – biological mother

le père adoptif – adoptive father

la mère adoptive – adoptive mother

le mari / le époux – husband

la femme / la épouse – woman / wife

la fille – daughter

le fils – son

le fils adoptif   – adopted son

la fille adoptive – adopted daughter

la sœur – sister

le frère – brother

le demi-frère – half-brother

la demi-sœur – half-sister

The French words for “mother” or “mom” are used in different situations. The term you use to call the person who gave birth to you when talking about her with family members is different when you refer to her when you’re in a conversation with someone from outside of the family, or when talking to a child.

“Qui est ta mère?” (“Who is your mother?”)

When talking to a child, you say: “Où est ta maman?” (“Where is your mama?”) It’s informal, just as kids are. A child will typically refer to his or her mother as maman rather than mère and father as papa rather than père.

When talking about your parents with non-family members, you say “ma mère” (“my mother”) or “mon père” (“my father”). The French say maman and papa in casual conversations, while père and mère are more formal. 

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le aîné – This can be used to address an older brother, the oldest brother, or the firstborn son.

la aînée – This can be used to address an older sister, the oldest sister, or the firstborn daughter.

le cadet – This can be used to refer to a younger brother or the second-born son in the family.

la cadette – This can be used to refer to a younger sister or the second-born daughter in the family.

le benjamin  – This term is used to refer to the youngest child in the family, who is a boy. 

la benjamin – This term is used to refer to the youngest child in the family, who is a girl. 

les gosses – kids / children

l’enfant – child

le bébé – baby or infant

Note that references to multiple babies in French are based on multiplicative numbers . They are as follows:

un singleton – singleton / single birth (male)

une singleton – singleton / single birth (female)

un jumeau – twin / 1 of 2 babies (male)

une jumelle – twin / one of 2 babies (female)

un triplé – triplet / 1 of 3 babies (male)

une triplée – triplet / 1 of 3 babies (female)

un quadruplé – quadruplet / 1 of 4 babies (male)

une quadruplée – quadruplet / 1 of 4 babies (female)

un quintuplé – quintuplet / 1 of 5 babies (male)

une quintuplée – quintuplet / 1 of 5 babies (female)

un sextuplé – sextuplet / 1 of 6 babies (male)

une sextuplée – sextuplet /1 of 6 babies (female)

un septuplé – septuplet / 1 of 7 babies (male)

une septuplée – septuplet / 1 of 7 babies (female)

un octuplé – octuplet / 1 of 8 babies (male)

une octuplée – octuplet / 1 of 8 babies (female)

un nonuplé – nonuplet / 1 of 9 babies (male)

une nonuplée – nonuplet / 1 of 9 babies (female)

un décuplé – decuplet / 1 of 10 babies (male)

une décuplée – decuplet / 1 of 10 babies (male)

Grandparents

les grands-parents – grandparents

le grand-père – grandfather

le papi / le pépé – grandpa

la grand-mère – grandmother

la mamie / la mémé – grandma / granny

les petits-enfants – grandchildren

le petit-fils – grandson

la petite-fille – granddaughter

le arrière-grand-père – great-grandfather

la arrière-grand-mère – great-grandmother

le arrière-petit-fils – great-grandson

la arrière-petite-fille – great-granddaughter

The formal and casual terms for grandparents in French are the same as how parents are addressed, as discussed prior.

la famille étendue – extended family

les proches – next of kin

parenté – kinship / relations

l’oncle – uncle

la tante – aunt

le neveu / les neveux – nephew / nephews

la nièce / les nièces – niece / nieces

le cousin – male cousin

la cousine – female cousin

It’s interesting to note that in the French family vocabulary, “parent” means not only “mother” or “father” but “relative” in general, as well. 

For example, “My guests are relatives from Paris .” The French translation goes like this: “Mes invités sont des parents Parisiens.” 

However, proches is also used, as in this example: “Mes proches sont de Paris.” (“My relatives are from Paris.”)

les beaux-parents – in-laws 

la belle-famille – family-in-law

la famille recomposée – step-family / blended family

la famille par alliance – family by marriage

le beau-père – father-in-law / step-father

la belle-mère – mother-in-law / step-mother

le beau-fils – used for both son-in-law and step-son

le gendre – son-in-law

la belle-fille – used for both daughter-in-law and step-daughter

la bru – daughter-in-law

beau-frère – brother-in-law / step-brother

belle-sœur – sister-in-law / step-sister

Please note that in the French vocabulary, there is no distinction between family-in-law and step-family.

The  French counterparts for “step-” and “-in-law” are the same: “beau-“ or “belle-” plus the family member. “Le gendre” and “la bru,” however, are specifically used for “son-in-law” and “daughter-in-law,” respectively.

la famille nourricière / la famille d’accueil – foster family

le père nourricier / le père d’accueil – foster father

la mère nourricière / la mère d’accueil – foster mother

l’enfant placé dans une famille – foster child

le parrain – godfather

la marraine – godmother

le filleul – godson

le filleule – goddaughter

Want to learn more French phrases? Check out our language guides below:

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Hi, I’m Christine – a full-time traveler and career woman. Although I’m from the Philippines, my location independent career took me to over 40 countries and lived in 4 continents in the last 10 years, including France. A self-proclaimed Francophile, I love everything France.

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French Family Culture and Vocabulary

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What Role Does Family Play in French Society?

The French value family above all else. They cherish these close relationships and it’s an important part of French culture. But, you should know more than just the French vocabulary for family members. You should also know what a typical French family is like. The family life culture is an important aspect of modern France, and being familiar with it is extremely useful as you’re progressing towards French fluency .

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French Family Vocabulary

Having a well-rounded vocabulary is crucial to French fluency. However, don’t worry about how many words you know . Reaching proficiency in a foreign language is about knowing the right vocabulary . To start your discovery of French family dynamics, here are the most useful French family vocabulary words you should know:

Close Family

• ma famille  – my family
• les parents  – parents
• le mari  – husband
• la femme  – woman / wife
• le père  – father
• le papa  – dad / papa
• la mère  – mother
• la maman  – mom / mama
• la fille  – daughter
• le fils  – son
• la sœur  – sister
• le frère  – brother
• le demi-frère  – half-brother
• la demi-sœur  – half-sister

Grandparents

• le grand-père  – grandfather
• le papi / le pépé  – grandpa / grandad
• la grand-mère  – grandmother
• la mamie / la mémé  – grandma / granny
• les grands-parents  – grandparents
• le petit-fils  – grandson
• la petite-fille  – grand daughter
• les petits-enfants  – grandchildren
• l’oncle  – uncle
• la tante  – aunt
• le neveu / les neveux  – nephew / nephews
• la nièce / les nièces  – niece / neices
• le cousin / la cousine  – cousin (male) / cousin (female)
• le beau-père  – father-in-law
• la belle-mère  – mother-in-law
• le beau-fils  – son-in-law
• la belle-fille  – daughter-in-law

Extra Terms

• l’aîné(e)  – oldest, eldest
• le / la cadet(te)  – youngest / younger
• les gosses  – kids
• l’enfant  – child
• le parrain  – godfather
• la marraine  – godmother

French Family Culture in French Society

French views on the family are rooted in a sense of family identity and society. This is in stark contrast to the English and American emphasis on individuality. In English-speaking communities, families encourage self-expression. Each person is unique, but the family construct remains the same.

However, in France, it’s a different value system. Families are tight-knit groups. Individualism isn’t encouraged. Instead, the French family bond defines everyone. And you can see the effect of this attitude throughout France.

The relationships between members of French families remain close. Even after their children become adults. Adult sons and daughters generally stay close to the family home. And it’s common for them to dine with their parents weekly and call them daily.

France Values Children as the Future

Raising a family in France is different than raising one in America. French parents, particularly in the middle class, take a stricter role than American parents. And the amount of freedom of movement that American children enjoy is not common in France.

French parents do not indulge children, either. They enforce the order by teaching their kids when to speak and listen. If a French child acts poorly, it reflects on the family. As a result, French parents teach their children that certain behaviors are unacceptable.

This approach to raising a family in France has stood the test of time even though there have been changes in society. These changes include an increase in single-parent homes, children born out of wedlock, and more women participating in the workforce. Despite these changes, the underlying view on how to raise children remains the same.

One issue that has become a concern is the idea that there are two societies in France. They are the “haves” and the “have nots.” Youth in France grow disaffected by a society that does not offer them the economic opportunities their parents had.

The 1995 film La Haine highlighted this problem and serves as a warning to the French society. It argues that there are problems that need to be addressed. Regular bursts of violence in the “banlieues” (suburbs) show that those problems are still acute.

French Family as a Lasting Foundation for Society

French people value equality in marriage. Despite the stereotype of the dominant French husband and the submissive French wife. In fact, husband and wife in French families hold equal responsibilities.

France also values equal marriage rights. Same-sex marriage has been legal in France since 2013 . This progressive step has inspired other countries in Europe to reevaluate their marriage laws.

French families tend to stay more closely connected to their relatives than they do in the United States or in England. While this is not always the case, American families tend to be scattered throughout the country. Not a lot of thought is given to keeping everyone physically close. French families live in the same area, developing large numbers of contacts and people who can rely on each other for support.

This structured environment and this sense of order and rigidity are not universal. There are individuals and families who do not live close to relatives and who do not adhere to the generally accepted views on parenting in France. But, these people are exceptions to the common traits found in most French families.

Reach French Fluency Fast

Although generalizing French families is hard, there’s one thing they all have in common: they all speak French. And if you want to truly experience French family life, you need to learn the language too. To reach fluency fast , use OptiLingo.

This language learning app is built on scientifically-proven language learning theories. Combining comprehensible input and spaced repetition , you will not only understand your lessons well, you’ll also commit them to memory. OptiLingo presents high-frequency phrases, so you’ll instantly learn how the locals speak . Discover how much easier learning French is with OptiLingo. Try FREE today !

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French Family Vocabulary: List Of 50+ Words With Audio

This post provides a comprehensive list of French family vocabulary. We cover words for both close and extended family members. We suggest listenting to the audio for each family member. By the time you’re done going down the page you’ll have a very strong grasp of these words.

Family in French is la famille . Essential vocabulary includes: la mère (mother), le père (father), la soeur (sister), le frère (brother), la fille (daugher), le fils (son), la tante (aunt), l’oncle (uncle), la grand-mère (grandmother) and le grand-père (grandfather).

French family vocabulary

Immediate family.

The following list is for the members of the immediate family. The “è” on the words père (father), mère (mother) and frère (brother) has an “eh” sound. For the word fille (daughter), don’t pronounce the LL’s.

• Father le père
• Mother la mère
• Son le fils
• Daughter la fille
• Brother le frère
• Sister la soeur
• Husband le mari
• Wife la femme, l’épouse
• Husband l’époux, le mari

Extended family

The following is a list of extended family members. Notice that the word for grandmother is “la grand-mère” . Be sure not to add an -e to “grand” to make it feminine. For the great grandparents, attach the word “arrière” .

• Grandparents les grand-parents
• Grandfather le grand-père
• Grandmother la grand-mère
• Great-grandfather l’arrière-grand-père
• Great-grandmother l’arrière-grand-mère
• Grandchildren les petits-enfants
• Grandson le petit-fils
• Granddaughter la petite-fille
• Uncle l’oncle
• Aunt la tante
• Great-uncle le grand-oncle
• Great-aunt la grand-tante
• Nephew le neveu
• niece la nièce
• male cousin le cousin
• female cousin la cousine

In-laws and step family

La belle-famille refers to the in-laws. When describing family members by marriage, the French do not distinguish between in-laws and step. For example, “le beau-père” means both father-in-law and step-father.

Interestingly, “le demi-frère” translates to both half brother and step brother. Logically, “la demi-soeur” translates to half sister and step sister.

• Parents-in-law les beaux-parents
• Father-in-law, step-father le beau-père
• Mother-in-law, step-mother la belle-mère
• Son-in-law, step-son le beau-fils
• Daughter-in-law, step-daughter la belle-fille
• Half-brother, step brother le demi-frère
• Half-sister, step sister la demi-soeur

Advanced French family vocabulary

French has some advanced family terms which are necessary to learn.

L’aîné – As a noun, l’a î né(e) means eldest child. As an adjective it means ‘older than’ or ‘your senior’.

• Marie est l’a î n é e de la famille. Elle a 35 ans. Marie is the eldest child in the family. She’s 35 years-old.
• Joseph est mon aîné de cinq ans. Joseph is five years older than me.

Le cadet – As a noun, le cadet/la cadette means the youngest child. As an adjective, it means younger. Le cadet can also refer to the second-born child.

• Notre cadet habite encore à la maison. Our youngest child still lives at home.
• Ma soeur cadette s’appelle Julie. My younger sister’s name is Julie.

Le benjamin – Le benjamin/la benjamine also refers to the youngest child in the family.

• Sophie est la benjamine de la famille : elle n’a que trois ans. Sophie is the youngest in the family. She’s only three years-old.

Adoption and fostering

The following list covers adoption and fostering. French culture places a heavy emphasis on the godparents. Hence, you’ll often hear French people referring to “mon parrain” (my godfather) and “ma marraine” (my godmother.

• Adoptive father – père adoptif
• Adoptive mother – mère adoptive
• Biological parents – les parents biologiques
• Biological father – le père biologique
• Biological mother – la mère biologique
• Foster family – la famille d’accueil 
• Foster mother – la mère de la famille d’accueil
• Foster father – le père de la famille d’accueil
• Godfather – le parrain
• Godmother – la marraine 
• Godson – le filleul
• Goddaughter – la filleule 

How to introduce family members

The following list of short phrases can come in handy for introducing family members in social situations. “Je vous présente” is formal and translates to “I introduce you to”. The informal version for people you know better is “Je te présent” .

• This my wife. Je vous présente ma femme.
• This is my husband. Je vous présente mon mari.
• These are my kids. Je vous présente mes enfants.
• This is my daugher/son. Je vous présente ma fille/mon fils.
• This is my sister/brother. Je vous présente ma soeur/mon frère.
• This is my mother/father. Je vous présente mon père/ma mère.

Genealogy and distant relatives

If you are traveling to France with the intention of looking for distant relatives the following list covering genealogy and family trees will come in handy.

• genealogy la généalogie
• direct line of descent la filiation
• family tree un arbre généalogique
• ancestry, bloodline, lineage l’ascendance (f)
• generation une génération
• ancestors les ancêtres , les aïeux
• distant relative un(e) parent(e) éloigné(e)
• relationship, kinship la parenté
• first cousin un(e) cousin(e) germain
• second cousin un(e) cousin(e) issu de germain
• once removed au deuxième degré
• paternal (adj) paternel(le)
• maternal (adj) maternel(le)

Et voilà ! You now know how to talk about your family in French. We now suggest checking out French Today’s family vocabulary lesson !

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David Issokson

David Issokson is a lifelong language enthusiast. His head is swimming with words and sounds as he speaks over six languages. Of all the languages he speaks, he's the most passionate about French! David has helped hundreds of students to improve their French in his private online lessons. When procrastinating working on his site, FrenchLearner.com, David enjoys his time skiing and hiking in Teton Valley, Idaho.

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• MyU : For Students, Faculty, and Staff

Catherine French, NAE

Professor Catherine E. Wolfgram French has been elected to the National Academy of Engineering (NAE). This is among the highest professional distinctions awarded to an engineer. The NAE elected only 114 new members and 21 foreign members this year. 

French joins previously elected members from the Department of Civil, Environmental, and Geo- Engineering: Professor Emmanuel Detournay and Professors Emeriti Steve Crouch, Charles Fairhurst, and Theodore Galambos. 

Catherine French, a College of Science and Engineering Distinguished Professor in the Department of Civil, Environmental, and Geo- Engineering, is a renowned structural engineer. She was recognized by NAE for “design, safety, and construction of structural concrete buildings and bridges.” Her research interests include the behavior of reinforced and prestressed concrete structural systems, field monitoring of structures, numerical and experimental investigations of structural systems including time-dependent and environmental effects, evaluation and repair of damaged structures, and development and application of new aterials. French led the creation of the Multi-Axial Subassemblage Testing (MAST) Laboratory in 2004. She has served on the national concrete building code committee for nearly 30 years. Her research on reinforced and prestressed concrete structural systems led to new guidelines to improve public safety.

French has received national recognition for her contributions in the area of structural engineering, and for her teaching, leadership, and research. She received the highest honors from the American Society of Civil Engineers (Distinguished Member 2018) and the American Concrete Institute (ACI Honorary Member 2019). 

French started her academic career at UMN, following in the footsteps of her father, who earned his Electrical Engineering degree at UMN, and two sisters (Electrical Engineering and Math Education). After completing her bachelor’s degree in 1979, French went on to complete her master’s and Ph.D. at the University of Illinois at Urbana- Champaign. French then returned to UMN as a new faculty member in 1984. She was the first female professor in civil engineering.

Since 2019, she has been a member of the University of Minnesota Academy of Distinguished Teachers. She has mentored more than 85 graduate students, postdoctoral  researchers, and visiting scholars. She also has published and edited more than 175 research papers and discussions. 

In addition to her academic and professional  accomplishments, French counts relationships among her great fortunes. “I have been very fortunate with a supportive family, with great students, colleagues, and collaborators. My graduate advisor Mete Sozen had a huge impact on my pursuing a Ph.D. and was very supportive throughout my career. And my family is so important to me!”

Two UMN professors and six alumni elected to NAE this year.

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