french my family essay

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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Writing About Family in French - Beginner Lesson

• Brian J. Donovan
• Categories : French lesson plans for secondary grades 6 12
• Tags : Teaching english speaking students a second language

Discussing Family in French

Language level: I try to make all of my lessons easily adaptable to different levels, but this is geared more towards beginners. For more advanced students, it will be review. For this lesson on writing about the family in French, your students will begin by learning basic family vocabulary, and they’ll pull together the basics they’ve already learned about simple sentence structure and verbs like être and avoir.

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Grade level: 6 or 7 through university Format: I’ve kept the format very simple to avoid too many layout issues. Paste the text into a document, and you can make the changes you’d like to make. I’ve given you a Student Section (below) which you can copy to a document, so you have something to hand out to your students. Your students will be able to follow along and make notes on the page as you talk about the different parts of the lesson. This Teacher Section will have tips and suggestions to share with them.

Writing about Family in French: Teacher Section

*Teacher: Some students aren’t comfortable talking about their families, so I tell them it’s ok to make it up! The whole point is to use the vocabulary and to put together sentences. A. Le Vocabulaire / Vocabulary Begin by introducing basic vocabulary. I use un/une a lot, and always tell my students to learn words with those, so they’ll more easily remember the gender. It’s not as important with a word whose gender is obvious, but it’s a good practice. (Note: be sure to remind them about le and la becoming l’.) 1. Qui / Who: *Teacher: You may have to add words to fit different family make-ups. Hint: If “sœur” is difficult for them, remind them to ignore the -o and that leaves them with -eu.

• une mère / mother
• un père / father
• un fils / son
• un garçon / boy
• un frère / brother
• une fille / daughter, girl
• un mari / husband
• un homme / man
• une femme / wife, woman
• un grand-père / grandfather
• un petit-fils / grandson
• une tante / aunt
• un oncle / uncle
• un cousin / male cousin
• une cousine / female cousin
• une sœur / sister
• un(e) enfant / child
• une nièce / niece
• un neveu (-x) / nephew
• une grand-mère / grandmother
• une petite-fille / granddaughter

2. L’État Civil / Marital Status: *Teacher: Once again, you may have to add words to fit different family make-ups. Remind them of the difference between “mari” and “marié.”

• célibataire / single
• fiancé(e) / engaged
• décédé(e) / deceased
• veuf / veuve / widower / widow
• marié(e) / married
• divorcé(e) / divorced
• remarié(e) / remarried

3. Les Adjectifs Possessifs / Possessive Adjectives: Possessive adjectives personalize your writings about your family. You wouldn’t want to constantly say, “I have a mother. I have a brother. I have an aunt.” You can use the different forms of “my” (mon, ma, mes) to vary your sentences. 4. Les Verbes / Verbs: You won’t need a lot of verbs to talk about your family: Être, avoir and habiter should be enough for most descriptions. *Teacher: I find examples often work best, but if you’d like you can spend time talking about the basic verbs they’ll need–or even ask them what verbs they think they’ll need! I have sample sentences for you in section II. Don’t forget to talk about “habiter” (live, reside/where) with a city, with states and streets, and how it differs from “vivre” (live/how, when). You may also want to talk about the difference between using “chez” and “avec.” B. Les Phrases / Sentences *Teacher: Examples tend to work best, so I’ve included some basic sentences to cover many situations. You can add as many as you’d like, and your students can take notes on their copies. Don’t forget to remind your students to also use words like “et” and “mais” to vary the sentences more. 1. Qui / Who (with verbs):

a. J’ai un frère/une sœur. J’ai deux frères./deux sœurs.

b. J’ai un petit frère/une petite sœur. J’ai un grand frère/une grande sœur.

*You can also teach aîné, cadet, etc. It’s depends on how much time you have to spend on the family lesson.

c. Je n’ai pas de frère(s)./pas de sœur(s). **Teacher: Remind them that the noun can be singular or plural, but that they’ll still use de/d’ in the negative in many cases…

d. On n’a pas d’animaux.

*Teacher: d’/vowel

e. C’est le frère de mon père. Le mari de ma tante (mon oncle) est décédé. (mort(e))

f. Mon oncle s’appelle Marc. Ma tante s’appelle Marie.

g. J’ai un oncle qui s’appelle Marc et il a 50 ans.

h. Mes parents s’appellent Sophie et Pierre. Mes parents sont Sophie et Pierre.

2. L’État Civil / Marital Status:

a. Mon frère est marié. Ma sœur n’est pas mariée.

b. Mes parents sont divorcés. Ma sœur est divorcée.

c. Je ne suis pas marié(e). Je suis célibataire.

d. J’ai un frère/une sœur qui n’est pas marié(e).

3. L’Age / Age:

a. Mon frère a 14 (quatorze) mois. Mon frère a 1 (un) an.

b. Mon frère a 9 (neuf) ans.

c. Mes deux sœurs ont 13 (treize) ans et 14 (quatorze) ans.

4. Où ? / Where?:

a. J’habite à Boston. **Teacher: à + ville

b. Mes parents habitent en Californie. / en Floride. / dans le Vermont. **Teacher: masculine & feminine//au

c. Mon grand-père habite avec un ami. / Mon grand-père habite chez ma tante. / tout(e) seul(e)

d. Mon cousin habite 9 Rue Corbert. Ma tante habite une grande maison/un bel appartement.

e. Mes grands-parents sont en France. / au Méxique.

Follow these additional French study guides for more practice!

• French cuisine
• The completed past

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The Easy Guide to Talking About Your Family in French

It probably doesn’t sound that difficult to converse without mentioning family.

Think about it, though. How often in a conversation do you say something like, “Sorry, my dad keeps texting me.”

“Oh, you like my sweater? Thanks! My husband gave it to me for Christmas.”

The list of ways our family members come up in conversation is endless, so we’ve put together this post to help you out. Ready to start talking about family in French?

French Vocabulary Related to Family

Your immediate family, your extended family, introducing family members in french, formal introductions, informal introductions, practice talking about family in french, 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)

Before we get into situations and phrases, let’s start with the basics. What is the French translation for terms related to family members?

• Les parents (parents, or in a more generic sense, relatives of any kind)
• La mère (mother)
• Le père (father)
• La maman (mom or mommy)
• Le papa (dad or daddy)
• Le frère (brother)
• La sœur (sister)
• Les frères et sœurs (siblings)

That’s right, there’s no word for “siblings.” You just have to say “brothers and sisters.”

• La fille (daughter)
• Le fils (son)
• Les grands-parents (grandparents)
• La grand-mère (grandmother)
• Le grand-père (grandfather)
• La mémé (grandma)
• Le pépé (granddad)
• Les petits-enfants (grandchildren)
• La petite-fille (granddaughter)
• Le petit-fils (grandson)
• L’époux / l’épouse    (spouse)
• Le mari (husband)
• La femme (wife)
• La belle-mère (mother-in-law)

The “in-laws” literally translate to “beautiful mother,” “handsome father,” etc. This translation really removes the negative stigma typically associated with in-laws!

• Le beau-père (father-in-law)
• Le beau-frère (brother-in-law)
• La belle-sœur (sister-in-law)
• La belle-fille (daughter-in-law)
• Le beau-fils (son-in-law)
• La belle-mère (stepmother)

You’ll notice that the “in-laws” and “steps” both translate to the same word. Confusing, isn’t it?

• Le beau-père (stepfather)
• Le beau-frère (stepbrother)
• La belle-sœur (stepsister)
• La belle-fille (stepdaughter)
• Le beau-fils (stepson)
• Le demi-frère (half-brother)
• La demi-sœur (half-sister)

• La cousine (female cousin)
• Le cousin (male cousin)
• Les cousins / les cousines (male or mixture of male and female cousins/female cousins)
• L’oncle (uncle)
• La tante (aunt)
• Le neveu (nephew)
• La nièce (niece)

These are the phrases you would whip out at those work and social events, when having people over to your family’s home or if you run into someone you know on the street while out with a family member.

You would use these phrases when introducing family members at an event, or to elders and people you respect.

• Je vous présente… (I present to you…)

Remember to use vous to talk to people who are older or in a position of authority. For example, you might use this phrase when you introduce a family member to your boss or to a friend’s parent.

Monsieur, je vous présente mon mari, Daniel. (Sir, I present to you my husband, Daniel.)

Bonjour, Madame Thierry! Je vous présente ma mère.  (Hello, Mrs. Thierry! I present to you my mother.)

• Je te présente… (I present to you…)

Use the tu form when speaking to a friend, an equal or someone younger than yourself. In this case, you are introducing a family member to someone who fits this profile, but while using a more formal structure:

Salut, Brigitte! Je te présente mon beau-frère, Charles. Charles, Brigitte est ma camarade de classe. (Hi, Brigitte! I present to you my brother, Charles. Charles, Brigitte is my classmate.)

• Il s’appelle… / Elle s’appelle… (His/her name is…)

Je te présente mon oncle. Il s’appelle Nico.  (I present to you my uncle. His name is Nico.)

Bonjour, madame. Je vous présente ma tante. Elle s’appelle Esther. (Hello, ma’am. I present to you my aunt. Her name is Esther.)

You would use these informal introductions with your close pals. Sometimes people use these terms as quick introductions if they are in a hurry or distracted. Let’s say your mom randomly walks into the room while you guys are playing video games. You don’t have time for formalities, you’ve got dragons to kill!

• C’est… (This is…)

C’est is a casual way to say, “This is.”

Salut! C’est mon cousin. (Hi! This is my cousin.)

• Voilà… (Here is…)

This would be used in a situation when you are surprised to see someone. For example, if you weren’t expecting a family member to walk in at that moment, you use voilà  as a quick announcement of their arrival.

Oh, voilà  ma femme!  (Oh, here is my wife!)

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I bet you didn’t even think about how many family members existed until you saw that list. But don’t be overwhelmed! There are plenty of free online learning tools where you can practice memorizing all this vocabulary. Check out these simple exercises on The French Experiment . 

Even watching videos in French can help you get used to new vocabulary. There are limitless videos to be found on YouTube .

Of course, you can talk in-depth about your family for hours.

But hopefully these basics will get you started!

This way, when a date or coworker asks you about your family, you won’t have to go hide out in the bathroom to avoid the conversation.

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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!

We’re glad that you’re part of the French Together family, or at least that you’ve stopped by for a visit!

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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 .

Write an essay in French

Beyond the fact that writing an essay in French can be a good practice to improve your writing, you may also be asked to write one during your schooling. So, it is important to study the topic of French essay writing and get some useful tips..

» Tips and tricks for your French essay » The structure of a French essay » Sample French Essay

Tips and tricks for your French essay

When writing a French essay for school, you should always use a structured approach and good French skills to present your arguments in a focused way. Beyond French skills, there are also important formal requirements for a successful French essay. We will come back to this in detail later. First, you will find some useful tips and tricks that will help you write more compelling and better French essays in the future.

• Have a clear thesis and structure
• Do sufficient research and use reliable sources
• Use examples and arguments to support your thesis
• Avoid plagiarism and cite correctly
• Always check structure, grammar and spelling

When you write your essay at school or university, you need to make sure that the general structure of your essay, the presentation of the arguments and, above all, your French language skills play a role in the mark you will get. This is why you should definitely take a closer look at the structure of an essay as well as the most important grammar rules and formulations for French essays.

The structure of a French essay

In an essay, you deal at length and in detail with a usually given topic. When you write an essay in French, you must follow a certain structure. Below we show you what this structure looks like and give you some tips for writing the most important parts of your essay.

The Introduction

The introduction prepares the main body of your essay. You think of a meaningful title for your essay, you describe your thesis or your question, you give general information on the subject and you prepare your argument by giving an overview of your most important arguments.

Below are examples and phrases that you can use to write the introduction to your essay in French.

The title should be meaningful, concise and reflect the content of the essay.

Introductory paragraph

The first paragraph of your French essay should briefly introduce the topic and engage the reader. Here are some examples to help you write your essay:

Proposal or question

The central proposition or question of your French essay should be a clear and concise definition of the purpose of the essay. Use these examples to get a clearer idea of ​​how to write theses in French:

Overview of Arguments and Structure

At the end of your introduction, describe the structure of the main part of your essay (your outline) and outline your argument. Here are some French expressions that will certainly help you write your essay:

The body of your essay

The main part of your French essay deals with the given topic in detail. The subject is studied from all angles. The main body of your essay follows a thread of argument and discusses in detail the main arguments of your thesis previously made in the introduction.

In the body of the text, you should discuss the subject of your essay in clear and concise language. To achieve this, we give you some wording aids as well as vocabulary and phrases that you can use to write your essay in French.

Formulation tools:

French vocabulary for essays.

In the conclusion of your French essay, you address the thesis of your essay, summarize the main points of your discussion in the main body, and draw a conclusion. On the basis of the arguments and the resulting conclusions, you formulate in the conclusion of your dissertation final thoughts and suggestions for the future. It is important that you do not add new information or new arguments. This should only be done in the body of your text.

Here are some wording guides to help you write your essay in French:

Sample French Essay

Les avantages des voyages linguistiques

Malgré les difficultés potentielles, les voyages linguistiques offrent aux apprenants une occasion unique d'améliorer leurs compétences linguistiques et de découvrir de nouvelles cultures, ce qui en fait un investissement précieux pour leur développement personnel et académique.

Les séjours linguistiques sont des voyages organisés dans le but d'améliorer les compétences linguistiques des participants. Ces voyages peuvent se dérouler dans le pays ou à l'étranger et durer d'un week-end à plusieurs semaines. L'un des principaux avantages des séjours linguistiques est l'immersion. Entourés de locuteurs natifs, les apprenants sont contraints de pratiquer et d'améliorer leurs compétences linguistiques dans des situations réelles.Il s'agit d'une méthode d'apprentissage beaucoup plus efficace que le simple fait d'étudier une langue dans une salle de classe.

Un autre avantage des séjours linguistiques est l'expérience culturelle. Voyager dans un nouveau pays permet aux apprenants de découvrir de nouvelles coutumes, traditions et modes de vie, et de se familiariser avec l'histoire et la culture du pays. Cela enrichit non seulement l'expérience d'apprentissage de la langue, mais contribue également à élargir les horizons et à accroître la sensibilisation culturelle.

Cependant, les séjours linguistiques peuvent également présenter des inconvénients. Par exemple, le coût du voyage et de l'hébergement peut être élevé, en particulier pour les séjours de longue durée. En outre, les apprenants peuvent être confrontés à la barrière de la langue ou à un choc culturel, ce qui peut être difficile à surmonter. Le coût et les difficultés potentielles des séjours linguistiques peuvent sembler décourageants, mais ils offrent des avantages précieux en termes d'épanouissement personnel et scolaire.

Les compétences linguistiques et les connaissances culturelles acquises peuvent déboucher sur de nouvelles opportunités d'emploi et améliorer la communication dans un cadre professionnel. Les bourses et les aides financières rendent les séjours linguistiques plus accessibles. Le fait d'être confronté à une barrière linguistique ou à un choc culturel peut également être l'occasion d'un développement personnel. Ces avantages l'emportent largement sur les inconvénients et font des séjours linguistiques un investissement qui en vaut la peine.

En conclusion, malgré les difficultés potentielles, les séjours linguistiques offrent aux apprenants une occasion unique d'améliorer leurs compétences linguistiques et de découvrir de nouvelles cultures, ce qui en fait un investissement précieux pour le développement personnel et académique. Qu'il s'agisse d'un débutant ou d'un apprenant avancé, un voyage linguistique est une expérience à ne pas manquer.

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

Full disclosure: This post contains affiliate links. ?

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

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:

an essay on my family in french

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

Full disclosure: This post contains affiliate links. ?

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

French Family Guide: Talking About Your Family in French

Your romance with a lovely French local has gained momentum and the time has come for one of the most terrifying milestones of ‘serious’ relationships: meeting your mother-in-law. Whether she’s a gatekeeper mom or just genuinely interested in her daughter’s “one and only,” chances are, you’ll be asked a lot of questions that will make you say: “Damn, how do I say mother in French? Or father or family in French?”

When meeting your parents-in-law, or any random person before a work meeting or over a beer, the trick is to find some common ground and get the other person to talk about something they can relate to. Hence, before you get to know a person and learn about your common interests, talking about their family or yours is a highly effective icebreaker.

Besides, have you ever noticed how often our relatives randomly pop into seemingly unrelated conversations? “My wife this,” “My mother that,” “My brother has the same thing,” and “My cousin has done that too!” As soon as you get comfortable with the vocabulary and the basic structures, it will unveil a whole lot of conversation opportunities and a wealth of follow-up questions to keep it going!

Learn how to describe family in French with FrenchPod101’s guide to family in French for beginners, and never lack the proper word again!

Table of Contents

• French Family Vocabulary: Complete Family Word List
• Beyond the Blood
• How to Talk About Family
• The French Family is Changing Rapidly
• How FrenchPod101 Can Help You Learn More French Vocabulary

1. French Family Vocabulary: Complete Family Word List

Before we get to talk about our family or inquire about somebody else’s, we’re gonna need some serious vocabulary! But don’t worry about the size of the list, just pick and remember whichever ones apply to your situation and the ones you’re typically going to ask about (siblings, kids?). You’ll learn the rest in due time as you continue talking about family in basic French.

1- The Inner Circle

Here are the most basic family members in French, the ones you’ll likely talk the most about.

/!\ Do not confuse mon parent , meaning “my relative,” and mes parents meaning “my parents.

Un parent meaning “a relative,” and des parents meaning “relatives,” both refer to relatives of any kind, while mes parents (possessive plural) means: “my parents” (in the sense of: mother and father).

• Je vais voir mes parents. “I’m going to see my parents.”
• J’ai des parents dans la région. “I have relatives in the region.”
• Comment vont ses parents ? “How are his parents doing?”
• Tu vis chez tes parents ? “Are you living with your parents?”
• Tu vis chez des parents ? “Are you living with relatives?”

Tel père, tel fils. (Like father, like son)

As you can see, there’s no specific word for “siblings” and we simply use “brothers and sisters.” For example, you could ask someone:

• Tu as des frères et soeurs ? “Do you have siblings?”

/!\ Be careful with the slang word gosses or “kids.”

In France, it’s very common and not overly familiar to use. However, in Canadian French, it has a completely different meaning and is vulgar slang for “testicles.” You can imagine how confusing these meanings could lead to some awkward misunderstandings.

2- French Extended Families

Extended family in French culture is important, so here are some words to help you start conversations about your loved ones outside your inner circle.

I’m talking about the one sending money on your birthday, not Marlon Brando.

Make sure to visit our vocabulary list about Family Members , with audio recordings to practice your pronunciation. It’s available for free on FrenchPod101 .

Famille nombreuse, famille heureuse. (Big Happy Family)

2. Beyond the Blood

Families extend beyond the people you share a blood relationship with. Let’s dive into the various types of these unrelated relatives.

Whether you’re in a relationship, engaged, married, single, divorced, separated, widowed, in a civil union, or in the type of situation Facebook describes as c’est compliqué (it’s complicated), talking about your marital status will often be useful.

Once you get married, you strap yourself to a whole bunch of “in-laws” that, with a bit of luck and a lot of work, might become as close as your own relatives.

Don’t you think that “beautiful mother” ( belle-mère ) or “handsome father” ( beau-père ) have a nicer ring to them than the legalish “mother-in-law” or “father-in-law?” As cheesy as it sounds, I feel like it helps to counter the negative association that many people have with the idea of having parents-in-law.

Meeting your “beautiful mother” ( Belle-mère – Mother-in-law)

3- Recomposed Family

Blended or reconstituted families (when the parents have children from previous relationships, but all the members come together under one roof) are increasingly common in France, and are slowly becoming the new normal. They bring unexpected stepfathers, stepbrothers, and usually a lot of complications to work through everyone’s differences. But it can also make broken families whole again and take a turn for the better.

/!\ Hold on! There’s something confusing here: does belle-mère stand for “mother-in-law” or “stepmother?” Both!

As inconvenient as it sounds, French uses the same set of words for parents-in-law and step-parents. But it’s not a problem, because it’s usually obvious from the context, right? Not always, and quite often, you’ll have to clarify who you’re talking about when referring to your “steps” or “in-laws.”

/!\ Wait…what about la demi-soeur ? Is it the “stepsister” or the “half-sister?” Both!

Demi literally means “half” and demi-soeur perfectly translates to “half-sister.” But then, we don’t have words for the step brothers & sisters, and it’s common to use demi-frère and demi-soeur , to make up for the lack of better words.

I personally use zéro-demi (or “zero-half” in English) to emphasize the difference, but there’s nothing official about it, and you won’t find it outside of this article!

3. How to Talk About Family

Now that we have a strong arsenal of new words at our disposal, let’s see how you can use them in a conversation. First, we’ll see how to talk about your marital status, then how to mention them in various ways, and finally how to ask questions and learn more about your friends’ families.

1- Your Marital Status

You could be asked about your marital status by friends or colleagues, for paperwork by any administrative office, or by a potential romantic interest on a date. Either way, no time to get it mixed-up!

Start with:

Je suis _______. “I am _______.”

And just pick from the list:

For example:

• Je suis marié. “I am married.” [Masculine]
• Je suis divorcée. “I am divorced.” [Feminine]
• Je suis célibataire. “I am single.” [Same for both genders.]

Most of these words are self-explanatory, but let’s talk about the civil union for a minute. The pacs or PACS ( Pacte Civil de Solidarité , or “Civil Solidarity Pact” in English) is, with the classic civil marriage, one of the two forms of civil union in France.

It was created in 1999, originally to give the same rights and legal protection to same-sex couples. Creating a new type of union instead of changing the traditional marriage was a clever way to not upset the conservative segment of the population, and it proved extremely successful.

Nowadays, the PACS is getting increasingly popular , especially for straight couples who find it more flexible and less bureaucratically heavy than getting married. They represent more than 95% of the total couples getting a PACS. Numbers are also showing that the PACS is slowly taking over traditional marriage.

Je suis mariée. (I am married.)

2- Questions and Answers About Family

With all the words that we’ve learned in the first part of this article, you’ll be able to talk about your family and ask the other person about their parents or brothers and sisters. Let’s have a look at the most common structures:

Est-ce que tu as _______ ? “Do you have _______?”

Tu as _______ ? “Do you have _______?”

• Tu as des frères ? “Do you have brothers?”
• Est-ce que tu as des cousins ? “Do you have cousins?”
• Tu as des enfants ? “Do you have children?”

You can answer with:

J’ai _______. “I have _______.”

• J’ai une soeur aînée. “I have an elder sister.”
• J’ai deux frères. “I have two brothers.”
• Je n’ai pas d’enfants. “I don’t have children.”
• J’ai trois mères. “I have three mothers.” This one is guaranteed to raise a lot of questions at a dinner party.

3- Talking About Family Members

There are many ways you could mention your relatives, and a number of things you may want to talk about, but here are a few examples to help you get the basic structures and elaborate from there:

• Mes parents habitent à Toulouse. “My parents are living in Toulouse.”
• Mes parents sont divorcés. “My parents are divorced.”
• Mon père est décédé l’an dernier. “My father died last year.”
• Ma grand-mère est Brésilienne. “My grandmother is Brazilian.”
• Mon grand-père est photographe. “My grandfather is a photographer.”
• Mes grand-parents vivent en Floride. “My grandparents live in Florida.”
• Ma soeur aînée a deux ans de plus que moi. “My elder sister is two years older than me.”
• Mon demi-frère a bientôt vingt ans. “My half-brother will be twenty soon.”
• Ma femme s’appelle Maurice. “My wife is called Maurice.”

Check out our Top 10 Quotes About Family on FrenchPod101 .

Mes parents habitent en Transylvanie. (My parents are living in Transylvania.)

4. The French Family is Changing Rapidly

Over the last few decades, the very concept of family in France has evolved, mutated, and broadened its definition. The family unit in French culture is now a mix of modernity and tradition, and while some are celebrating those changes, others are claiming that this once “sacred” institution got lured by progress and lost its way.

Before 1950, the French family was traditionally composed of two parents and often many children, as abortion remained illegal until 1975 . Couples were getting married young, often before their 20s, and didn’t divorce. The woman usually stayed home and was subject to the authority of her working husband.

Between 1950 and 2000, families began changing quickly. Divorces became increasingly frequent, as well as single-parent families. After WWII, women began emancipating, claiming more importance and freedom in and out of the household. More and more mothers started working, and the patriarchal system gave way to a more balanced separation of tasks and authority. French laws began evolving at the same time, reflecting these changes of mentalities.

After 1980, divorces and remarriage became commonplace, and three types of families were now frequently found all over France: “traditional” families, single-parent families (children raised by only one parent, usually the mother), and blended families (remarried partners living with children from former relationships).

Nowadays, the definition of the family has expanded a lot, thanks to the PACS (civil union) and the 2013 law on marriage and adoption for same-sex couples. 80% of women from 25 to 49 years old are working (even though income inequality remains an issue), and families are forming later in life.

The average age that mothers have their first child is around 30, and households rarely have more than one or two children . Children born outside of the traditional structure of a married couple are more and more frequent, with the rise of civil union or common-law union.

5. How FrenchPod101 Can Help You Learn More French Vocabulary

In this guide, you’ve learned a lot about how to talk about your family or ask about your friends’ relatives, from the giant word list to the most common questions and answers.

Did I forget any important words or expressions? Do you feel ready to get out there and reveal your most intimate family secrets, using everything you’ve learned today?

Make sure to explore FrenchPod101 , as it has plenty of free resources for you to practice your grammar and learn new words. Our vocabulary lists are also a great way to revisit the words in this article and learn their pronunciation.

Remember that you can also use our premium service, MyTeacher , to get personal one-on-one coaching. Practice talking about your family in French with your private teacher so they can give you personalized feedback and advice, and help you with your pronunciation.

About the Author: Born and bred in the rainy north of France, Cyril Danon has been bouncing off various jobs before he left everything behind to wander around the wonders of the World. Now, after quenching his wanderlust for the last few years, he’s eager to share his passion for languages.

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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

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How to Write an Essay in French Without Giving Yourself Away as a Foreigner

Have something to say?

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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'Family' Vocabulary in French

Vocabulaire Français de la Famille

• Pronunciation & Conversation
• Resources For Teachers

If you're learning to speak French , you might find yourself talking about la famille among friends and relatives quite a lot. To simplify the learning for you, this article first introduces an overview of close and extended family members in French, then clarifies some of the common misconceptions and differences between the English and French expressions. Finally, you are presented with a sample dialogue on the topic of family.

La Famille Proche ( Close Family Members)

As you will see, there are a few similarities between some of the English and French vocabulary about family that might help your understanding and memorization. You might also note commonalities between the two genders , as in some cases it is possible to simply add an "e" to the end of a word to change it from masculine to feminine.

L a Famille Etendue ( Extended Family)

Famille par mariage  (family by marriage) / la famille recomposée  (blended family).

In French, step-family and family-in-law are labeled using the same terms: beau- or belle- plus that family member:

French does not have a special word for a step-sibling. The dictionary would say  un beau-frère and une belle-soeur or un demi-frère and une demi-soeur (the same as half-brother or half-sister), but in everyday French , you might also use a phrase like quasi frère or quasi soeur (almost brother, almost sister) or explain your relationship using your stepparent.

Other Family Terms

Parents vs. relatives.

The phrase les parents usually refers to the parents, as in "mom and dad." However, when used as generic terms, un parent and une parente, the meaning changes into that of a "relative."

Using parent/parente can become confusing in some sentence structures. Note the use of the word des in the second sentence:

• Mes parents sont en Angleterre.  My parents [my mom and dad] are in England.
• J’ai des parents en Angleterre.  I have some relatives in England.

Because of the confusion, French speakers don’t use un parent and une parente as often as English speakers do the word “relatives.” Instead, you will hear them use the word famille . It’s singular and feminine.

• Ma famille vient d’Alsace.  My family is from Alsace.

You may add the adjective éloigné(e) (distant) to make the distinction, as in:

• J’ai de la famille (éloignée) en Belgique.  I have relatives in Belgium.

Or, you can be more specific about identifying relationships, as in:

• J’ai un cousin aux Etats-Unis. I have a cousin in the U.S.
• J’ai un cousin éloigné aux Etats-Unis.  I have a distant cousin in the U.S.

In French, this means s/he is not necessarily a first cousin (child of a parent's sibling), but could be the person’s a second or third cousin.

Common Confusions

It might also be a good reminder that the adjectives “grand” and “petit” in family vocabulary don’t pertain to people’s sizes. They are rather indicators of age.

Similarly, the adjectives “beau” and “belle” don’t mean beautiful when describing family relationships, but are used for “in-law” or “step” family.

Family Vocabulary in Dialogue

To aid in learning French family vocabulary , you can view the terms we learned above in a simple dialogue, as in this example where Camille et Anne parlent de leurs familles (Camille and Ann are talking about their families).

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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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Useful phrases in French: Talking about your family

Talking about your family is a great way to connect with others and share information about yourself in French. Whether you’re meeting new people or practicing your language skills, knowing some basic French phrases can help you express yourself and communicate more effectively.

In this lesson, we’ll go over some useful French phrases that will come in handy when talking about your family.

“Je suis marié(e)” – “I am married” Use this phrase to inform someone that you are married. If you’re not married, you can say “Je suis célibataire” to indicate that you’re single.

“J’ai des enfants” – “I have children” This phrase is useful when you want to mention your children. You can provide more details by following up with their names, ages, and other information.

“J’ai un frère/une sœur” – “I have a brother/sister” If you have siblings, this phrase is a great way to mention them. You can also use “J’ai des frères/soeurs” to indicate that you have more than one sibling.

“Mes parents habitent à…” – “My parents live in…” If you want to mention where your parents live, this phrase is a great way to do it. You can follow up with the name of the city, town, or country where they reside.

“Nous sommes une famille de…” – “We are a family of…” If you want to mention the size of your family, this phrase is a great way to do it. You can follow up with the number of people in your family, such as “Nous sommes une famille de quatre” (We are a family of four).

“Comment vont tes enfants/ta famille ?” – “How are your children/your family?” This is a great question to ask someone when you want to show an interest in their family. It’s a friendly and polite way to start a conversation about family.

“Je vais rendre visite à ma famille” – “I’m going to visit my family” If you’re making plans to visit your family, this phrase is a great way to let someone know. You can provide more information by following up with the dates of your trip and other details.

By learning these useful French phrases for talking about your family, you can engage in conversation with others, share information about yourself, and learn more about the people around you.

Be sure to practice these phrases so that you can communicate confidently and effectively when talking about your family in French.

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Write an essay in french.

Beyond the fact that writing an essay in French can be a good practice to improve your writing, you may also be asked to write one during your schooling. So, it is important to study the topic of French essay writing and get some useful tips..

» Tips and tricks for your French essay » The structure of a French essay » Sample French Essay

Tips and tricks for your French essay

When writing a French essay for school, you should always use a structured approach and good French skills to present your arguments in a focused way. Beyond French skills, there are also important formal requirements for a successful French essay. We will come back to this in detail later. First, you will find some useful tips and tricks that will help you write more compelling and better French essays in the future.

• Have a clear thesis and structure
• Do sufficient research and use reliable sources
• Use examples and arguments to support your thesis
• Avoid plagiarism and cite correctly
• Always check structure, grammar and spelling

When you write your essay at school or university, you need to make sure that the general structure of your essay, the presentation of the arguments and, above all, your French language skills play a role in the mark you will get. This is why you should definitely take a closer look at the structure of an essay as well as the most important grammar rules and formulations for French essays.

The structure of a French essay

In an essay, you deal at length and in detail with a usually given topic. When you write an essay in French, you must follow a certain structure. Below we show you what this structure looks like and give you some tips for writing the most important parts of your essay.

The Introduction

The introduction prepares the main body of your essay. You think of a meaningful title for your essay, you describe your thesis or your question, you give general information on the subject and you prepare your argument by giving an overview of your most important arguments.

Below are examples and phrases that you can use to write the introduction to your essay in French.

The title should be meaningful, concise and reflect the content of the essay.

Introductory paragraph

The first paragraph of your French essay should briefly introduce the topic and engage the reader. Here are some examples to help you write your essay:

Proposal or question

The central proposition or question of your French essay should be a clear and concise definition of the purpose of the essay. Use these examples to get a clearer idea of ​​how to write theses in French:

Overview of Arguments and Structure

At the end of your introduction, describe the structure of the main part of your essay (your outline) and outline your argument. Here are some French expressions that will certainly help you write your essay:

The body of your essay

The main part of your French essay deals with the given topic in detail. The subject is studied from all angles. The main body of your essay follows a thread of argument and discusses in detail the main arguments of your thesis previously made in the introduction.

In the body of the text, you should discuss the subject of your essay in clear and concise language. To achieve this, we give you some wording aids as well as vocabulary and phrases that you can use to write your essay in French.

Formulation tools:

French vocabulary for essays.

In the conclusion of your French essay, you address the thesis of your essay, summarize the main points of your discussion in the main body, and draw a conclusion. On the basis of the arguments and the resulting conclusions, you formulate in the conclusion of your dissertation final thoughts and suggestions for the future. It is important that you do not add new information or new arguments. This should only be done in the body of your text.

Here are some wording guides to help you write your essay in French:

Sample French Essay

Les avantages des voyages linguistiques

Malgré les difficultés potentielles, les voyages linguistiques offrent aux apprenants une occasion unique d'améliorer leurs compétences linguistiques et de découvrir de nouvelles cultures, ce qui en fait un investissement précieux pour leur développement personnel et académique.

Les séjours linguistiques sont des voyages organisés dans le but d'améliorer les compétences linguistiques des participants. Ces voyages peuvent se dérouler dans le pays ou à l'étranger et durer d'un week-end à plusieurs semaines. L'un des principaux avantages des séjours linguistiques est l'immersion. Entourés de locuteurs natifs, les apprenants sont contraints de pratiquer et d'améliorer leurs compétences linguistiques dans des situations réelles.Il s'agit d'une méthode d'apprentissage beaucoup plus efficace que le simple fait d'étudier une langue dans une salle de classe.

Un autre avantage des séjours linguistiques est l'expérience culturelle. Voyager dans un nouveau pays permet aux apprenants de découvrir de nouvelles coutumes, traditions et modes de vie, et de se familiariser avec l'histoire et la culture du pays. Cela enrichit non seulement l'expérience d'apprentissage de la langue, mais contribue également à élargir les horizons et à accroître la sensibilisation culturelle.

Cependant, les séjours linguistiques peuvent également présenter des inconvénients. Par exemple, le coût du voyage et de l'hébergement peut être élevé, en particulier pour les séjours de longue durée. En outre, les apprenants peuvent être confrontés à la barrière de la langue ou à un choc culturel, ce qui peut être difficile à surmonter. Le coût et les difficultés potentielles des séjours linguistiques peuvent sembler décourageants, mais ils offrent des avantages précieux en termes d'épanouissement personnel et scolaire.

Les compétences linguistiques et les connaissances culturelles acquises peuvent déboucher sur de nouvelles opportunités d'emploi et améliorer la communication dans un cadre professionnel. Les bourses et les aides financières rendent les séjours linguistiques plus accessibles. Le fait d'être confronté à une barrière linguistique ou à un choc culturel peut également être l'occasion d'un développement personnel. Ces avantages l'emportent largement sur les inconvénients et font des séjours linguistiques un investissement qui en vaut la peine.

En conclusion, malgré les difficultés potentielles, les séjours linguistiques offrent aux apprenants une occasion unique d'améliorer leurs compétences linguistiques et de découvrir de nouvelles cultures, ce qui en fait un investissement précieux pour le développement personnel et académique. Qu'il s'agisse d'un débutant ou d'un apprenant avancé, un voyage linguistique est une expérience à ne pas manquer.

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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:

Get fluent fast now. Upgrade your French language skills with our free classes online today.

• Gender In French
• Body Parts in French
• Dates In French
• Numbers In French
• Colors In French
• Beautiful In French
• C’est La Vie – Meaning And How To Use It

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 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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Sophia Bush comes out as queer, confirms relationship with Ashlyn Harris

Actor Sophia Bush came out as queer in an emotional essay in Glamour and confirmed she’s in a relationship with retired U.S. Women’s National Team soccer player Ashlyn Harris. 

“I sort of hate the notion of having to come out in 2024,” Bush wrote in a cover story for the fashion magazine published Thursday. “But I’m deeply aware that we are having this conversation in a year when we’re seeing the most aggressive attacks on the LGBTQIA+ community in modern history.” 

Bush noted that there were more than 500 anti-LGBTQ bills proposed in state legislatures last year and said this motivated her to “give the act of coming out the respect and honor it deserves.” 

“I’ve experienced so much safety, respect, and love in the queer community, as an ally all of my life, that, as I came into myself, I already felt it was my home,” she wrote. “I think I’ve always known that my sexuality exists on a spectrum. Right now I think the word that best defines it is queer . I can’t say it without smiling, actually. And that feels pretty great.”

The “One Tree Hill” star filed for divorce from entrepreneur Grant Hughes in August. People magazine first reported in October that Bush and Harris were dating, but neither confirmed nor commented on the report. The pair later attended an Oscar’s viewing party together in March . 

In the essay, Bush addressed online rumors that her relationship with Harris began before Harris had officially divorced from fellow soccer star Ali Krieger, in September. 

“Everyone that matters to me knows what’s true and what isn’t,” Bush wrote. “But even still there’s a part of me that’s a ferocious defender, who wants to correct the record piece by piece. But my better self, with her earned patience, has to sit back and ask, What’s the f------- point? For who? For internet trolls? No, thank you. I’ll spend my precious time doing things I love instead.”

Bush said that after news about her and Harris became public, her mom told her that a friend called and said, “Well, this can’t be true. I mean, your daughter isn’t gay .” 

“My mom felt that it was obvious, from the way her friend emphasized the word, that she meant it judgmentally,” Bush wrote. “And you know what my mom said? ‘Oh honey, I think she’s pretty gay. And she’s happy .’”

Bush wrote that she felt like she was wearing a weighted vest that she could finally put down. 

“I finally feel like I can breathe,” Bush wrote. “I turned 41 last summer, amid all of this, and I heard the words I was saying to my best friend as they came out of my mouth. ‘I feel like this is my first birthday,’ I told her. This year was my very first birthday.”

For more from NBC Out, sign up for our weekly newsletter.

Jo Yurcaba is a reporter for NBC Out.

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.

Ma Famille - My Family - An Essay in French is to help students and people learning French to write a short essay in French. Students of grades 5 - 8 can wat...

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".

I present to you my mother.) Je te présente…. (I present to you…) Use the tu form when speaking to a friend, an equal or someone younger than yourself. In this case, you are introducing a family member to someone who fits this profile, but while using a more formal structure: Salut, Brigitte!

How to Write about Family in French | My Family in French 10 Lines - Learn FrenchIn this video, we will learn to write an Essay on My Family in French Langua...

Moi et ma famille. Me and My Family. Bonjour, je m'appelle Élisabeth. J'ai vingt-neuf ans et je suis française. Je suis née à Lyon mais j' ai grandi à Marseille. Je suis allée à l'université à Paris. Maintenant, j'habite à Strasbourg et je suis ingénieur. Translation. Hello, my name is Élisabeth.

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.

1- The Inner Circle. Here are the most basic family members in French, the ones you'll likely talk the most about. "My folks" [Slang. Literally: "My old-ones"] /!\. Do not confuse mon parent, meaning "my relative," and mes parents meaning "my parents. Un parent meaning "a relative," and des parents meaning "relatives ...

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 ...

Family in French. How to talk about your family in French.In this French lesson, Pearl, a native French speaker is teaching you how to introduce 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.

1. Text Summary (Synthèse de texte) 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.

Ils aident les gens qui ont besoin de leur aide, alors beaucoup de gens les aiment. Je suis aussi très fier de mes parents. I live with my family in a small house. There are three members in my family. They are my father, my mother and me. My house is always safe because of them. I love them very much and they also love me.

If you're learning to speak French, you might find yourself talking about la famille among friends and relatives quite a lot. To simplify the learning for you, this article first introduces an overview of close and extended family members in French, then clarifies some of the common misconceptions and differences between the English and French expressions.

Grand-père. 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. Usage example: Sophie demandait des chocolats à son grand-père tous les samedis.

In this lesson, we'll go over some useful French phrases that will come in handy when talking about your family. "Je suis marié (e)" - "I am married". Use this phrase to inform someone that you are married. If you're not married, you can say "Je suis célibataire" to indicate that you're single. "J'ai des enfants ...

The first paragraph of your French essay should briefly introduce the topic and engage the reader. Here are some examples to help you write your essay: In recent years, the [topic] has become a hotly debated issue, with [brief outline of arguments]. The [subject] has been the subject of controversy for several decades, with [brief overview of ...

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.

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.

This video teaches how to describe your family using simple French. This video is for the new learners of French.

If you want to talk about your family, the verb. avoir. (to have) is useful. Avoir is an irregular verb. Regular verbs follow the same pattern, but irregular verbs don't. The spelling of the ...

Do you need to write an essay in French? Whether you are a student, a traveler, or a language lover, you can benefit from learning some useful French essay phrases. In this article, you will discover 30 common expressions that will help you structure your arguments, introduce your ideas, and connect your thoughts in a clear and elegant way. Plus, you will also find some tips on how to improve ...

Publish on June 19, 2021Bonjour (Hello)Hope you all are doing well!📚 Learn French Online with Neha at French For beginners Easy way to use in everyday life ...

Actor Sophia Bush came out as queer in an emotional essay in Glamour and confirmed she's in a relationship with retired U.S. Women's National Team soccer player Ashlyn Harris.

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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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I'm an American mom living in France. I've never seen a screen out during meal time, and French kids are always well-dressed.

• I'm an American mom living in Bordeaux, France. 
• Despite trying hard to assimilate, I can't hide the fact that I'm American. 
• It's the most obvious when I'm around French parents. 

As an American living in Bordeaux , France, with my family, I'm working hard to assimilate — and not stand out like the foreigner I am. I'm learning French, adopting a French diet of baguettes and butter, and swapping my leggings for floral-print dresses and Adidas Sambas.

And yet, when I'm in Mom Mode with my 7-year-old son, Oliver, I just can't hide the fact I'm American. Some of the differences between French and American parenting styles are too noticeable to hide.

I've made a few adjustments since moving here, but there are some American momisms that I have no intention of giving up.

As an American, I hover around my kid in the playground

The French playground is one of the best places to observe the differences between French and American parenting styles. For one thing, American parents tend to hover, tagging a few feet behind the kids while they run around the playground. Although my son is fairly self-sufficient at age 7, I definitely stuck close to him when he was younger, loudly pointing out dangers and reminding him to be careful, standing ready to catch him if he fell, and even intervening if he encountered a poorly behaved kid. This kind of helicopter behavior is fairly common among American parents — but less so in France.

French parents are a lot more likely to park themselves on a bench and allow their kids to wander around on their own. I've seen French toddlers set free on their balance bikes at the skatepark and allowed to climb up jungle gyms with no one within catching distance. And guess what? They survive.

In fact, I rarely hear crying children at French playgrounds or witness so much as a skinned knee . French parents still keep tabs on their kids but give them space to figure things out on their own.

French kids are always impeccably dressed

It may sound as if French kids are running wild, but that's not the case — and their wardrobes are evidence of that. French kids are usually impeccably dressed, clearly by their parents.

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Girls often wear pretty cotton dresses with tights, ballet flats, and matching bows in their hair, while the boys wear nice pants and button-up-shirts topped off with a thick sweater or jacket — sometimes even on warm days (because the French dress for the calendar rather than the weather). The crazy thing is, no matter how long they've been on the playground, or even after a long day at school, these kids still look so fresh and so clean.

Meanwhile, my American boy is immediately recognizable for his comfortable athleticwear — soft joggers, T-shirts, hoodies, and sneakers. He's also usually the only one running around in short sleeves on chilly days, usually with stains somewhere on his clothes.

I may get occasional disapproving looks, but I think it's important to let my kid dress the way he wants. Even more importantly, I'm proud that he's recognized that he dresses differently than his French classmates, and he's OK with it. In fact, he's told me he likes being different, and I love that about him.

I'm trying not to be a yeller

I'm not sure how the French kids are able to stay so neat, but I suspect it has something to do with how French parents reprimand and discipline their kids. Yelling is very common among parents in the US — so much so that their reprimands are often completely ignored by their kids. This is partially why I made the decision to try not to be a yeller even before having my son, but I still do let out the occasional holler: Look out! Stop that! Five more minutes! And when I do that in France, I get stared at — because French parents rarely raise their voices.

When a French kid does something naughty, they're pulled aside and very quietly and sternly reprimanded. It seems to be a whole lot more effective than yelling because the French kids I've encountered are generally a pretty calm, well-behaved lot.

I rarely see kids with iPads

I've witnessed this good behavior often in restaurants, where French kids typically sit quietly and politely, even for the duration of long meals. I was struck by this at a recent café lunch, where a young boy about my son's age ordered beef tartare and spoke quietly with his parents throughout the meal. Meanwhile, my son was noshing on fries, drinking Coke from a bottle, and playing games on my phone.

I've rarely seen French kids with screens (or sodas) at a restaurant. Do I wish my kid was more like Tartare Boy? Sure I do — and sometimes he is. But I also feel like it's a lot to ask an energetic child to sit still for over an hour at a quiet restaurant. And I'm 100% OK with letting him have a few minutes of screen time in exchange for allowing my husband and I to enjoy our meal and a few minutes of adult conversation.

My kid snacks more than any of his friends

Restaurants aren't the only place where I've noted differences regarding food. My kid snacks — a lot. And like many American families, we often have a selection of junk food in the house, such as chips, sugary cereal, and ice cream.

I've always let my son snack throughout the day because he's super active, and he's just as likely to reach for yogurt or cucumbers as a handful of cookies. But when his French friends have come over to play, they seem genuinely perplexed when he offers them snacks, and they don't have the expected response when he opens up our snack cabinet. One asked if she could have a glass of milk instead, while another asked if we had any fruit.

We've learned that French kids usually snack only once per day, during "le goûter " which is around 4:30 p.m., when they get out of school. This seems to be sufficient to tide them over until dinner. Otherwise, between-meal snacking isn't common — which is probably a big reason childhood obesity (and obesity in general) is not an epidemic in France as it is in the US.

I have a lot of respect for French moms, but I know I'll never be mistaken for one. While I'm sure I'll be taking some lessons and making some changes during our time in France, I've also made peace with some of the things that make me an American mom. Fitting in is great, but sometimes you just have to stay true to yourself.

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Essay on My Family

List of essays on my family, essay on my family – short essay for kids in english (essay 1 – 250 words), essay on my family – for children (essay 2 – 300 words), essay on my family – paragraph (essay 3 – 400 words), essay on my family –topics (essay 4 – 500 words), essay on my family (essay 5 – 500 words), essay on my family – why i love my family (essay 6 – 500 words), essay on my family – for school students (class 4, 5, 6, 7 and 8 standard) (essay 7 – 500 words), essay on my family (essay 8 – 750 words), essay on my family – long essay (essay 9 – 1000 words).

A family is one of the greatest gift god has given to all living creatures on the earth including humans. It is a privilege to have a happy family as not everyone in the world has it.

The joy of living with your parents, fighting with your siblings over petty can just make you smile the moment you think of it. In order to inculcate the values of a family in the students, we have composed some short essays for students.

These essays are suited for students of all ages and classes. Not only these essays shall give an insight on how a family should be but shall also enrich the students with the moral values of a family.

Audience: The below given essays are exclusively written for kids, children and school students.

Family is important to every one of us and we all love our family. Wherever we go in this world and whatever we may achieve, our heart and soul will always be in our home because it is where our beautiful family is. Nothing in this world can be stronger than the bonding of the blood . The members of the same family may have differences of opinions, may quarrel often for silly things but in spite of all these it is our family that supports us during our ups and downs.

As the saying goes, “ Family is the best thing you could ever wish for. They are there for you during the ups and downs and love you no matter what”.

Contrary to this saying, we cannot choose our family as we choose our friends. But I can say that I’m blessed with a wonderful family. My family is very small with four members – my mother, my father, my elder sister and me. My family is a middle class family and my father is officially the bread winner of our family. My mother supports him financially by taking tuitions for school children.

We do not have much money or wealth but what my family has in abundance is love for each other which cannot be replaced by anything else in this world. My father and my mother are the role models to my sister and me. They struggle a lot to give us a better life. More than anything they have taught us discipline and morals of life which is helping us to lead our lives in a righteous path even today.

I cannot ask anything more to God since he has already showered me with my family which I treasure the most every second and will safeguard even in the future.

The family is a valuable god gift which plays a most crucial role in every individual’s life. I love my family very much because all of my family members stand in my good as well as bad times. From moral teachings to love and support, my family has always helped me without any demand. There is no doubt that we experience our biggest triumphs when we really connect to them.

My family is like a strong pillar for me, on which I can rely blindly anytime I require support. From my family, I have learned the social graces of loyalty & cooperation.

My family consists of my grandfather, my grandmother, my mother, my father, two young sisters and myself. My grandparents are the pillars of my family and my grandfather is the head of my family. He is the one whose decision relating to any matter is final and all of us do respect it.

Right from my childhood, my family members have prepared me for the challenges that I’ll face in the years ahead. In addition to this, all of my family members help and serve each other at times of need. These qualities that I have learnt from my family has helped me to shape my adult life in a right manner.

I am really very attached to my grandfather. He holds an excellent life experience because he has already faced so many ups and downs. My Grandfather has helped me to build my perception & vision towards society.

My family has always been there to motivate and encourage me to overcome all difficulties in life and achieve success. The role of every member in my family is unique and important in their own way. I thank God that I have grown up in a family full of love and discipline. My family values will definitely help me in becoming a better person.

A person without family and its love never becomes completely happy in his/her life. I am complete and happy with my family that includes five members. My family is a group of five including me, father, mother, brother, and sister. Family bonding is a unique type of love that gives you every lesson needed to live a harmonious life.

Growing under the supervision of a caring and loving family will increase our social values and overall well-being. Each member of my family carries out equal responsibility in sculpting the strong bonding needed for a better future and develop moral importance in each other.

My father owns a successful business of office stationery store. He uses the money to cover all our expenses and give a better lifestyle to the family. He works hard day and night to get us better education, food, home, etc. He hides all his tiredness when he comes home after a long day to spend quality time with us.

My mother is a talented homemaker who also does a part-time tailoring at home. She does all her duties with at most interest, from taking care of us to all the household chores and finds time to pursue her passion as well. She is a multi-tasker and does all the tasks from helping us in our studies to preparing delicious healthy foods to sculpt us into a better human being.

My brother is an engineering graduate and does a job in a well-known company. He is my best well-wisher and helps me in all ups and downs. My sister is also an engineering graduate and an employee in an IT company. She always finds time to help me with all my difficulties and she is my secret keeper too.

My family is a lifeline to whom I can run to, whatever may be the situation I am facing. My family guides me to be a good person and help me in nurturing good values. We, humans, are animals that live together spreading love and care for each other, and this togetherness is called family. The absence of such a divine bonding make us equal to animals.

Family value and growing in such a caring surrounding helps me to pass all the struggles and hardships that I face in my daily life. Whatever be the situation we are facing, our family will never leave us alone. My family is a blessing for me and I value everyone in my family with equal respect and love.

Most of the people in the world are blessed with having a family. A family, with whom you can share all your joys and sorrows, who is there to guide you through your growing years, who stands by you in the toughest of the situations. I too am blessed to have such a family.

My family is one the most bizarre family in the world. We are four people, my mother, my father, my younger brother and me. While my father is the one who does work for a living, it is my mother who is the boss of the house. My father is a humble person. He is an officer in a government department. My mother is a housewife. It is our mother who takes care of our studies as our father is often busy with his official assignments and even travels for days together. We just miss him when he is not at home.

He never scolds us. But, our mother is just the opposite. She wants us to remain disciplined and we often get scolded by her. However, our father comes to our rescue most of the times. My brother, still in school is the one with whom I love to spend my time the most. Not because I love to play with him, but because, being the elder sister, I enjoy instructing him and showing him who is more powerful at home. He, at a time, seems so helpless when our mother says to obey his sister. I just love that moment. But not all days are the same. I hate having to study all along while he gets to play more than me.

The Atmosphere in my Family:

We largely have a peaceful atmosphere at home. After school, our time is spent on studying, playing and watching television, which of course our mother does not like. Unlike other couples, my mother and father seldom have a fight. In fact, as soon we see an argument brewing up, one of them just withdraws and it is just rare to see a heated conversation between them. This is what I like the most about them as I feel that my parents are so cool. It is only me and brother who love to fight with each other.

However, we know that behind those fights, it is actually our love for each other which binds us together. I just enjoy being at home spending time with my parents and my brother. I just feel how bad it would be when tomorrow I and my brother shall move on for our professional lives and we shall not be able to spend much time together. However, it is the memories of today which shall be with me forever and will bring a smile on my face anytime when I feel low.

The Importance of a Family:

A family is said to be the first school of a child. It is from here you start to learn how to speak, walk and interact with the world. It is important to value the importance of a family in one’s life. At times, people feel that they are grown-ups and that their parent’s advice does not matter anymore, but that is not true. It is the elders of the family who at any given of time would know the world better than us and we should all respect our family members and love our siblings as well. It is the family who builds our character and we should feel fortunate to have a family around us.

Introduction

My family values are what I take so dear to my heart because they have made me what I am today and I plan on passing these great values to my children in future. Every family has those things, acts and values that they hold in high esteem and they cherish so much. These vales have become a part of them: most times, it is what distinguishes the traits in each family and in some ways it makes or mars the future of the family members. Same applies to my family, we have some set values that has become a part of us and it has made my life a lot better because I have become a better person who is not only valuable to himself but also to the society at large. I will be sharing some of these values with you.

My Family Values:

Some of my family values include:

1. Honesty:

This is a principle that is highly protected in my family. My dad has this saying that, “honesty is the best policy.” Ever since I was little, my family has taught me how to be honest and the benefits that lie within. Sometimes, my parents even test us in ways we were not expecting and a reward is given to the person that comes out honest. This is one of my family values that I cherish so much and I am proud that it is what my family hold in high esteem.

2. Kindness to Others:

This is not a common trait to all. My mom has this belief that if the world and everybody in it shows love and kindness to one another, there will be no hatred and wars will be eradicated. This is a family value that we cherish so much. I learnt to show love to everybody. Even when we did not have much, my parents will still give to those who are needy. My dad says that the world is like a river, we would eventually flow into one another later and you do not know the future, the person you helped today might eventually be of help to you tomorrow.

3. Education:

This is a value that has been passed from generation to generation in my family. My dad would say that education is the best legacy you can give to a child. My family does everything in their capacity for you to get a sound and benefitting education. The acquisition of knowledge is also quite important. All of us try to gain more and more knowledge because we all have a family slogan that says “knowledge is power and that power makes me a hero.”

4. Dress and Appearance:

This is a religious value we cherish in my family. My dad would say that you are addressed the way you dress. I do not want to be address wrongly and give out a wrong impression. So, our appearance really matter a lot to us and the way we dress.

Conclusion:

Every family has one thing or the other that they hold in high esteem and tend to pass on from generation to generation. This is what makes a family a united sect not because we are related by blood but because of we share the same values.

Introduction:

Why I love my family is a question that has been floating through my mind for a very long time because no matter how hard I try to pin out a reason why I love them, I just can’t find one. This can be due to fact that they mean the whole world to me and I will do anything for them. I love my family a lot and I would like to share some of the reasons why I love my family and will never trade them for anything.

Why I Love My Family:

I have a family that consists of 6 people: my father, my mother and four children which includes me. For you to understand why I love my family I will tell you a little about each of them and why I love them so much.

My father is the best father in the world: well, that’s what I say. He is a business manager. I look up to my father a lot because I will like to take a lot of his behaviours and make it mine. He taught me to be contented with whatever I have. We did not have much when I was growing up; my dad lost his job and still did not allow anything of the pressure change how he behaved to us at home. He is caring, gentle, accommodating and disciplined.

My mum is the best cook in the world. I do not know where I would be today without my mum. I owe her a lot. She is a teacher by profession and this fascinates me a lot because not only is she inculcating knowledge in the young minds of tomorrow, she is also building the future of our society at large. I want to be like my mum. I remember those times when she had to sacrifice when the most precious of her things just to make me happy. She is loving, caring, understanding, accommodating. In fact, she is everything you can ever wish for in a mother.

My elder sisters are the best. Although they can be frustrating sometimes but that is mostly because of my stubbornness. They pretend they do not really care but deep inside they do. The things they do even subconsciously say otherwise. I remember a day in elementary school, I was being bullied a boy in class. On this particular day, he hit me. Unknowing to me, my sister heard about it and she beat the boy and made him apologise to me, I felt so happy that day because I had someone who had my back.

My brother is one of the best gifts I have received. He is the last child and this gives him an opportunity to be annoying if you know what I mean. He is joyful and always ready to heed correction. There was this day, I heard him bragging to his friends about how awesome I am, and I was the happiest that day.

We all have one reason or the other on why we love our family. I love mine because they are the best gift I could ever ask for and the fact that they have been there for me through the good, bad and funny times.

Importance of family is something that is greatly overlooked and underrated in the world we live in today. The definition that the family had about one hundred years before now was very clear. Back then, a family was believed to be a unit that consisted of the father that was in charge of the finances of the family, a mother whose primary duty was to look after the home and take care of the children and then there were the children. Largely based on the region you are from, a family can also include members of the extended family like aunts, uncles and grandparents. This type of family system is referred to as joint family.

Family Importance:

A family that is important is one that is very strong. If a family is going to be very strong, there is a need for the bond between them to be very strong. Bonds that help in keeping the members of a family with each other are relationships. If there are very strong relationships among all the members of a family, there is going to be stronger commitment between all of them and the family as a unit will be very important.

Better communication is also a result of family relationships that are very strong. If all the family members can take time out to talk and know each other well, the bond between them is bound to be very strong. Even if the conversations are about big things or small things, it does not really matter. The most important thing is that all family members stay connected to one another. It is very important that they all list to each other and understand every member.

How to make Family Bonds Very Strong:

We have various things that can help our family bond to improve.

A few of them include:

1. Love: love is the most important thing we need for our bonds as a family to improve. When we love the members in our family, we will also be able to know all about privacy, intimacy, caring, belonging and sharing. When there is love in a family, the family will prosper.

2. Loyalty: loyalty is something that comes as a result of love. Family members should stay devoted to each other. It is important that we are able to count on our family to have our back anytime we are facing problems.

The importance of family can never be overstated even though we live in a different time now and our attitudes to relationships, marriage and what a family should be has changed. The family is something that we need to help share our problems and be there for us anytime we have issues. A lot of the things that were not acceptable in the past and we now see as normal. Even with all the changes that the society has effected on our family system, the family still remains the major foundation of our society and this will remain the same.

My family is the best gift I have got. A family can be simply said to mean a social group of different people in our society that includes one or more parents and also their children. In a family, every member of the family commits to other members of the family in a mutual relationship. A family is a very important unit and the smallest unit in the society. A family whether a big one or a small one is of very great importance and use to all of its members and is believed to be the unit of our society that is strongest because the society is formed from the coming together and culmination of various families.

In many cultures, the family serves a child’s first school where the child learns all about their traditions and cultures more importantly learn about all the rudimentary values in life. A family is very essential in the teaching of healthy habits and good manners to all the members of the family. It gives the members of the family the opportunity to become people with better character in our society. I feel very lucky to be born into a small and lovely family; I learnt a lot of things from my family.

I am from a middle class and average family with six members (my father, my mother, my grandmother, my grandfather, my younger brother and me). My grandfather is the head of the family and we all respect and listen to him. He is really wise and tries to advise each and every one of us using his many life experiences. He has been involved in many interesting and adventurous activities that he tells me about all the time. Most of the time, he has the final say on all of our family issues and he does his best to make all his decisions impartial.

Any time we are eating today as a family, he sits at the top of the table; we all have designated seats at the dining table. When my brother and I are available, my grandfather teaches us about our traditions and cultures. My grandfather is very friendly and has a cool and great personality and tries to talk nicely and calmly to everyone passing across his message without being rude. He helps my brother and sometimes me with our assignments. He majorly teaches us about all of the tools we need to be successful in life including punctuality, discipline, moral, cleanliness, continuity, honesty, hard work and trustworthiness.

My lovely grandmother is one of the nicest people I know, she tells my brother and I lovely stories every night. My father is a civil engineer and he is very hardworking, sincere and punctual. He is the breadwinner of the family and does his best to provide for every member of the family even if that means he has to work extra hours. My mother is very sweet and takes care of every member of the family even though she works as an accountant at a firm. She wakes up very early in the morning to make preparations for the day. My brother is a funny and jovial person that enjoys sporting activities and I love him so much.

Sometimes I wish my cousins, uncles and aunts lived with us, I love having them around. There are a lot of advantages and disadvantages of having everyone around. I have highlighted some below.

Some advantages are:

1. It gives a better routine of living that can contribute to a proper growth.

2. Having a joint family helps in following the numerous principles of an equitable economy and helps teach discipline and respect. It also teaches us how to share the burden of other family members.

3. There is the understanding of having to adjust to the needs of other family members.

4. The children in a large family get to grow up in a happy environment because they have children of their age around that they can play with.

5. All the members of a joint family are usually very disciplined and responsible as everyone has to follow the instructions of the family head.

Some of the disadvantages include:

1. There is always the chance of a rift or fight between the family members because of the possible imbalance of feelings of oneness, brotherly love and feeling of generosity.

2. There is a chance of the members of the family that earn very high looking down on members of the family that do not.

The concept of family is important in India for every individual. Family defines an individual background in terms of social relations and growth. Families influence the lives of individuals from childhood to adulthood especially in decisions concerning life milestones like marriage and career paths. Indian families live together for up to four generations under one roof and they manage to maintain lose family relations compared to other families across the globe. Indian families tend to stick to their cultural practices as a family and they maintain religious practices that cut across the family. Elders in Indian families are respected by the members of the family and their opinions are considered during decision making.

What Family Really Means :

Basic knowledge defines a family as a group of people who share genetic and legal bonds. However, the concept of family means a lot more for other people than just the bond and it incorporates the concepts of culture and religion. In India, the concept of family differs from what the rest of the world perceives as family.

Families in India go beyond nuclear and extend to wider circles, whereby the extended family lives together and are closely related. The relationships in the family are strong such that cousins are considered siblings and aunts and uncles are considered parents. Family also means the unconditional love among the members of the family whereby there is support in terms of finances and emotions.

Why the Family is so important:

The family plays a central role in lives of individuals in teaching of moral values. Parents, aunts, uncles and grandparents have been known to teach the children on morality and disciplinary issue s in most cultures. Both spiritual and moral values are instilled through family. Family give a sense of belonging to individuals because they are over by the family and supported at all times.

A family will always support its members with needs including financial and emotional needs. In a family, there has been established levels of satisfaction and happiness from the joy of being together. Families also helping community development through contributions and participating in activities in the community. The family is important in the society in maintaining order, discipline and peace.

I come from a big family. My family has not moved to an urban area and so we still live as a wider circle together with the extended family. In my nuclear family, I am the first born of four children. I have one sister and two brothers who are still at school. I have three aunts and two uncles. My cousins are twelve in number and most of them are at school except for the youngest ones.

My grandparents are very old and they do not get out of the house much and are being taken care by my parents and aunts. Most of the children are always at school and the house gets quiet but during holiday, we all unite together as a full house. My family is of the middle class in terms of wealth. Our religion is Hindu and we all practice the Indian cultures and traditions. What I love about my family is that everyone is a good cook and the food is always amazing. Members of my family are kind and respectful and that is why we rarely have disputes. The family support is strong and we all love each other.

Why I love My Family:

Having a big family is interesting because the house always feels warm. As I had earlier mentioned, my family is made of good cooks, which makes me love them. There is always teamwork within the family and good relationships are maintained. I like the adventurous nature of my family because we always have fun whenever we go for holiday vacations or have a family event.

Moral cultural and spiritual values are highly cared for in the society. My family is oriented in good moral values and believe we make a good role model for the society. Despite the influence of education, the family has been able to maintain the culture and traditions of Indian people. The love that exists in my family is precious and that is the most important value of all times because what family without love?

Our Weekend Outings and House Parties:

We do not have many of these in our family because of the different schedules among the members. We only have weekend outings and house parties during holidays. Birthday parties are and weddings are the parties that we frequently have as a family. I love parties at home because the food is usually exceptionally good. Also, the dancing and happy faces. Weekend outings are usually in form of picnics and they are usually full of games.

Cousins Visit during Summer:

My family is young and only three of my cousins are in college. The rest are in high school or elementary schools. Whenever my cousins come home from school, it is a happy moment for the whole family and we host parties to welcome them home. Whenever my older cousins are at home, I enjoy their company and I love to hear stories about college because that is where I will be in a few years’ time.

In the spirit of holidays, we have a vacation or two in a year. During these vacations, plans begin early and when the time comes, it is enjoyable and relaxing. Vacations for us as children tend to be more enjoyable because we have an environment away from home and with minimal parental supervision and we tend to explore and talk among ourselves. Team building during vacations strengthens the bond in families.

Family is a blessing to individuals because that is where they belong and it is what defines them. A good family is built through moral values and team effort. Having family events and parties or vacations re important is strengthening the relationships within a family. A happy individual is definitely from a happy family.

Family , My Family , Relationships

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