Famille is the most common way to say “family” in French. But just like in English, there are many nuances when talking about relatives, households, or even chosen families. As you learn French, you'll undoubtedly want to talk about your loved ones, whether they're your immediate relatives or your wider circle. Let's explore some common and unique ways to express “family” (and all its variations) in French!

1. The general term for 'family' – la famille

The general term for 'family' – la famille

La famille is the most common and fundamental word for 'family' in French.

Unlike English, la famille is always a feminine singular noun, regardless of how many people are in the family. So, you'll always use feminine singular articles (la) and possessive adjectives (ma, ta, sa, notre, votre, leur) with it.

This versatile word can refer to your immediate family (parents, siblings) or your extended family (grandparents, aunts, uncles, cousins). It's the go-to term for any familial group.

You'll often hear it in common expressions like un membre de la famille (a family member) or l'esprit de famille (family spirit/sense of family).

While la famille is broad, remember that les parents specifically means 'the parents,' and les proches can refer to 'close relatives' or even 'close friends,' depending on context.

Family holds a significant place in French culture, often being at the center of social life and traditions. La famille is a concept deeply valued and celebrated.

💡 * Ma famille est très importante pour moi. (My family is very important to me.)

Nous passons Noël avec toute la famille. (We spend Christmas with the whole family.)

Elle a une grande famille. (She has a large family.)

C'est un bon esprit de famille. (It's a good family spirit.)

Il travaille pour l'entreprise familiale. (He works for the family business.)

The 'parents' (mother and father) – les parents

The “parents” (mother and father) – les parents

In French, the term les parents (masculine plural) refers specifically to both the mother and the father, or more generally, one's parents.

Unlike the English word 'parents' which can sometimes broadly refer to any relative, les parents in modern French almost exclusively means your mother and father.

If you want to refer to a single parent, you would use le parent (masculine singular) for 'a parent', or la mère for 'the mother' and le père for 'the father'.

You'll frequently hear les parents in everyday conversation when talking about someone's mother and father collectively, for example, 'I'm going to see my parents this weekend.'

Remember that even if you're talking about two parents, one of whom is female, the masculine plural form les parents is used to refer to the couple.

💡 *Je vais voir mes parents ce week-end. (I'm going to see my parents this weekend.)
*Ses parents sont très gentils. (His/Her parents are very kind.)
*Chaque parent a un rôle important. (Each parent has an important role.)
*Ma mère et mon père sont mes parents. (My mother and my father are my parents.)
*Où sont tes parents? (Where are your parents?)

The 'children' – les enfants

When referring to 'children' in French, whether generally or specifically, the most common term you'll encounter is les enfants.

The singular form is un enfant (a child). Interestingly, enfant itself can be either masculine or feminine. You'll say un enfant for a boy child and une enfant for a girl child. The word enfant doesn't change, only the article preceding it.

For plural, it's always les enfants, regardless of whether you're talking about a group of boys, a group of girls, or a mixed group. This makes it a very versatile and widely used term.

While les enfants refers to children in general, if you want to specify 'sons' or 'daughters' as your offspring, you would use les fils (sons) or les filles (daughters). However, les enfants can also mean 'my children' if the context is clear, much like 'kids' in English.

You'll often hear les enfants in phrases like Bonsoir les enfants! (Good evening, kids!) or Où sont les enfants? (Where are the children?). It's a fundamental word for family and social interactions.

💡 * J'ai deux enfants. (I have two children.)

Elle a un enfant qui s'appelle Louis. (She has a child named Louis.)

Les enfants jouent dans le jardin. (The children are playing in the garden.)

C'est une enfant très intelligente. (She is a very intelligent child.)

Nous allons chercher les enfants à l'école. (We are going to pick up the children from school.)

The 'siblings' (brothers and sisters) – les frères et sœurs

In French, the collective term for 'siblings' is les frères et sœurs, which literally translates to 'the brothers and sisters'.

This phrase exemplifies a fundamental French grammar rule: when a group includes both masculine and feminine individuals, the masculine plural form is used to refer to the entire group. Thus, les frères et sœurs covers all siblings, regardless of their individual genders.

It's the most common and standard way to refer to a group of children from the same parents. You would use un frère for 'a brother' and une sœur for 'a sister' individually, but the group is always les frères et sœurs.

💡 * J'ai trois frères et sœurs. (I have three siblings.)

Mes frères et sœurs viendront ce soir. (My siblings will come tonight.)

As-tu des frères et sœurs ? (Do you have siblings?)

Nous sommes de bons frères et sœurs. (We are good siblings.)

The 'grandparents' – les grands-parents

The term for 'grandparents' in French is les grands-parents.

This plural noun literally translates to 'the great parents' and refers to both grandfathers and grandmothers collectively.

To refer to individual grandparents, you use le grand-père for 'grandfather' and la grand-mère for 'grandmother'.

A key point for learners: les grands-parents is always a masculine plural noun, even if the group includes grandmothers. This is a common rule in French where a mixed-gender group takes the masculine plural form.

In informal and affectionate contexts, many French families use Papi for 'grandfather' and Mamie for 'grandmother'.

These terms are standard and widely used to discuss family elders, reflecting respect and familial bonds.

💡 * Mes grands-parents viennent nous rendre visite ce week-end. (My grandparents are coming to visit us this weekend.)

J'adore passer du temps avec ma grand-mère. (I love spending time with my grandmother.)

Mon grand-père m'a raconté une histoire. (My grandfather told me a story.)

Tu as vu Papi et Mamie récemment ? (Have you seen Grandpa and Grandma recently?)

Les grands-parents jouent un rôle important dans la famille. (Grandparents play an important role in the family.)

The 'uncles and aunts' – les oncles et tantes

In French, oncle directly translates to 'uncle' and tante means 'aunt'. Unlike some slang terms, these words maintain their primary family meanings consistently. They refer to the siblings of one's parents or the husbands/wives of one's parents' siblings.

In French culture, uncles and aunts often play a significant role in family life, similar to many other cultures. They are respected family figures, and their relationships can extend beyond blood relatives to very close family friends who are treated as 'honorary' uncles or aunts, particularly by children.

When addressing an uncle or aunt, you would typically use mon oncle (my uncle) or ma tante (my aunt). This direct address signifies respect and familial connection. It's common for children to use these terms, even when speaking to their parents about their siblings.

Unlike some English terms like 'bro' which can have slang connotations, oncle and tante almost exclusively refer to their direct family roles. There is no widespread slang usage that deviates from their literal meaning, making them straightforward vocabulary for learners.

💡 * J'ai passé le week-end chez mon oncle et ma tante. (I spent the weekend at my uncle's and aunt's.)

Bonjour ma tante ! Comment allez-vous ? (Hello, auntie! How are you?)

Mes oncles et tantes viennent pour Noël cette année. (My uncles and aunts are coming for Christmas this year.)

Il est comme un oncle pour moi, toujours là pour donner de bons conseils. (He's like an uncle to me, always there to give good advice.)

The 'cousins' – les cousins/cousines

The “cousins” – les cousins/cousines

In French, cousin refers to a male cousin, while cousine refers to a female cousin. These terms are used to describe the children of your aunts and uncles.

The plural form for a group of male cousins or a mixed group is les cousins. For a group of female cousins, you use les cousines. These words are fundamental for discussing family relations.

💡 * Mon cousin habite à Paris. (My male cousin lives in Paris.)

Ma cousine est très gentille. (My female cousin is very kind.)

Nous allons voir nos cousins ce week-end. (We are going to see our cousins this weekend - mixed or all male group).

Toutes mes cousines sont venues à la fête. (All my female cousins came to the party.)

The 'in-laws' – la belle-famille

In French, la belle-famille is the collective term used to refer to one's in-laws.

Literally translating to 'the beautiful family,' this term encompasses all members of your spouse's or partner's family, from parents to siblings and beyond.

While la belle-famille refers to the group, you'd use specific terms like le beau-père (father-in-law), la belle-mère (mother-in-law), le beau-frère (brother-in-law), and la belle-sœur (sister-in-law) for individual members.

💡 * Nous passons Noël avec ma belle-famille cette année. (We're spending Christmas with my in-laws this year.)

Sa belle-famille est très accueillante. (His in-laws are very welcoming.)

J'adore ma belle-mère et mon beau-père. (I love my mother-in-law and father-in-law.)

The 'relatives' or 'kinship' – la parenté

In French, the term la parenté refers broadly to kinship, relatives, or family ties in a collective sense.

It encompasses the entire network of people related to someone by blood, marriage, or adoption. You might hear it used to describe the extended family or the abstract concept of being related.

While la famille generally refers to your immediate family (parents, siblings, children), la parenté has a broader scope, referring to the relationship itself or all your relatives collectively.

When you want to talk about a single relative, you use un parent (masculine) or une parente (feminine). For example, Il est un de mes parents (He is one of my relatives).

It's crucial to note that the plural form mes parents almost exclusively means my mother and father, not 'my relatives' in general. This is a common false cognate for English speakers and an important distinction.

💡 *La parenté est très importante dans certaines cultures. (Kinship is very important in some cultures.)
*Toute la parenté était réunie pour le mariage. (All the relatives were gathered for the wedding.)
*J'ai rencontré un de ses parents à la fête. (I met one of his relatives at the party.)
*Mes parents viennent me voir ce week-end. (My parents are coming to see me this weekend.)
*Elle a une grande parenté dispersée dans le monde entier. (She has a large kinship network/many relatives spread all over the world.)

Are there other ways to say 'family' in French?

Are there other ways to say “family” in French?

Our list features the most common ways to talk about “family” in French. But just like with English, there are other terms, from old-fashioned ones, to regional ones, to up-and-coming slang ones this middle-aged author might not even be aware of!

You can also do an online search for “comment dire famille en ___” followed by a specific Francophone country or region.

You might find some interesting synonyms for famille on this list. Of course, make sure to check a word’s definition and try to see it used in context before you use it.

Pay attention as you read, watch, and listen to things in French — you may discover different ways to talk about family members or your family as a whole.

And if you’re looking for more nuanced ways to talk about different kinds of family members or relationships, the WordReference entry for famille is a great place to start!

I hope you found this article helpful. Here’s what I think is the perfect quote to finish it with: Il n'y a pas de richesse supérieure à une famille unie. (There is no greater wealth than a united family.)

9 ways to say "family" in French