You might be just starting out on your language studies, but don’t sleep on learning the vocabulary for family in Portuguese. Family is the heart of the social life force in Portugal and Brazil. In Portugal, loyalty and proximity to family is paramount, and many people live in close proximity to their relatives. In Brazil, it’s not at all unheard of to meet the whole clan of the person you’ve only recently started dating. Don’t take it so seriously, it’s just family!
Below, you’ll find all of the words you’ll need to talk about family in Portuguese. You’ll also notice some interesting particularities, like the fact that “foster parents,” or família acolhedora, literally means “welcoming family,” or that meio-irmão can mean both “half-brother” and “stepbrother.”
Refer to this list as you commit these words to memory, and practice your pronunciation by clicking the play button to hear how the words are pronounced by a native speaker.
Essential Vocab For Family In Portuguese
the family — a família
the relatives — os parentes
the extended family — os parentes distantes
the ancestor — o antepassado
the descendant — o descendente
the parents — os pais
the mother — a mãe
the father — o pai
the children — os filhos
the daughter — a filha
the son — o filho
the brother — o irmão
the sister — a irmã
the siblings — os irmãos
the stepchild — o enteado
the half-brother/the stepbrother* — o meio-irmão
foster parents — a família acolhedora
the guardian — o tutor
the grandmother — a avó
the grandfather — o avô
the grandson — o neto
the granddaughter — a neta
the nephew — o sobrinho
the niece — a sobrinha
the aunt — a tia
the uncle — o tio
the cousin — o primo (masc.) / a prima (fem.)
the parents-in-law — os sogros
the great-grandparents — os bisavôs
the second cousin — o primo de segundo grau
*O meio-irmão can mean both “half-brother” and “stepbrother.”