The 15th Word of the Month is: FAMILY

This word originally appeared in our Spanish word of the month by email

Homepage: http://www.lingolex.com/spanish.htm

Introduction

When Sarah said that we should do the word "family" at first it seemed too basic but we have managed to put together a list of family words "on steroids" and it's really good (¡¡no necesito abuela!!). The most notable difference between English and Spanish is that when you use the masculine it can refer to both masculine and feminine. eg "hermanos" can refer to your "brothers" or your "brothers AND sisters".

Spanish
English
el padre father
la madre mother
los padres parents
el hermano brother
la hermana sister
el hijo son
la hija daughter
los hijos children
el tío uncle
la tia aunt
el sobrino nephew
la sobrina niece
el primo / la prima cousin
el marido / el esposo husband
la mujer / la esposa
Note: esposas can also mean handcuffs! 		wife
el cónyuge / la cónyuge spouse
el abuelo grandfather
el abuelito / el yayo granddad
la abuela grandmother
la abuelita / yaya / nana granny
el nieto grandson
la nieta granddaughter
el bisabuelo great-grandfather
la bisabuela great-grandmother
el bisnieto, biznieto great-grandson
la bisnieta, biznieta great-granddaughter
el tío abuelo great-uncle
la tía abuela great-aunt
el sobrino nieto great-nephew
la sobrina nieta great-niece
el tatarabuelo great-great-grandfather
la tatarabuela great-great-grandmother
el tataranieto great-great-grandson
la tataranieta great-great-granddaughter
el primo primero / la prima primera first cousin
el primo segundo / la prima segunda second cousin
el tío segundo / la tía segunda cousin first removed
el suegro father-in-law
la suegra mother-in-law
los suegros (mother and father-in-law)
la familia política / los parientes políticos (your spouse's family / relatives)		 the in-laws
el cuñado / el hermano político brother-in-law
la cuñada / la hermana política sister-in-law
madrina godmother
padrino godfather
ahijada/o goddaughter/son
mis padrinos my godparents
el mellizo twin, twin brother
la melliza twin, twin sister
el gemelo idéntico (identical) twin, twin brother
la gemela idéntica (identical) twin, twin sister

Note:- gemelo(s) has two other meanings. It can also mean:
1. cufflink(s)
2. calf muscle(s)
And gemelos can also mean "binoculars"
el trillizo / la trilliza triplet
el cuatrillizo / la cuatrilliza cuadruplet
el quintillizo / la quintilliza quintuplet
el sextillizo / la sextilliza sextuplet
el septillizo / la septilliza septuplet
el padrastro stepfather
la madrastra stepmother
el hijastro stepson
la hijastra stepdaughter
los hijastros stepchildren
el hermanastro half brother / step brother
la hermanastra half sister / step sister
los parientes / familiares relatives
los antepasados ancestors / forebears (formal)
la generación generation
el árbol genealógico family tree
la familia de acogida foster family
los padres de acogida foster parents
un niño adoptado / una niña adoptada adopted child
mi hermano / hermana mayor my older brother / sister
mi hermano / hermana menor my younger brother / sister
mi hermanito / hermanita my baby brother / sister
el segundo hijo / la segunda hija
Soy la segunda		 a middle child (of three)
I'm the middle child
el hijo único / la hija única
Soy hija única		 an only child
I'm an only child
el niño mayor the oldest child
el niño menor the youngest child
EXPRESIONES - EXPRESSIONS

It is important to remember that plural words in Spanish can refer to masculine and feminine
"hermanos" therefore can refer to your "brothers" or your "brothers and sisters"
"tus tíos" could mean
     - your "aunt and uncle"
     - your uncles and aunts

¿Cuántos hermanos tienes?= How many brothers and sisters have you got?
Note when talking about the number of people in your family, Spanish use the verb "ser" where English uses "There are"

Somos cinco (en mi familia) = There are five of us (in my family).

If someone is blowing their own trumpet, or seems to have a very high opinion of themselves the other person might say:
No necesitas / tienes abuela.
The idea is that normally grandmothers give uncritical praise. The other person is so overconfident that they don't even need praise or if they haven't got a grandmother they have to praise themselves.

The translation of to blow your own trumpet is probably "fanfarronear"

The person who does it is a "fanfarrón" eg: "no seas fanfarrón" = don't be a big-head


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