Family and People in Catalan

Overview

Family vocabulary is among the first topics you learn at the A1 level because talking about family is fundamental to everyday conversation. Catalan family terms follow regular gender patterns: most have distinct masculine and feminine forms, and plurals follow standard rules.

A key feature of Catalan family vocabulary is that many terms form their feminine by changing the final vowel or consonant: germà (brother) → germana (sister), fill (son) → filla (daughter). The masculine plural often serves as the generic form for mixed groups: els germans can mean "the brothers" or "the siblings."

When talking about family members, you will combine this vocabulary with possessive adjectives: el meu pare (my father), la teva germana (your sister). This provides excellent practice for both vocabulary and grammar simultaneously.

How It Works

Core Family Vocabulary

Masculine	Feminine	English
el pare	la mare	father / mother
el germà	la germana	brother / sister
el fill	la filla	son / daughter
l'avi	l'àvia	grandfather / grandmother
l'oncle	la tia	uncle / aunt
el cosí	la cosina	cousin (m/f)
el nebot	la neboda	nephew / niece
el marit / l'home	la muller / la dona	husband / wife
el sogre	la sogra	father-in-law / mother-in-law
el net	la néta	grandson / granddaughter

Plural Forms

Singular	Plural	Meaning
el germà	els germans	the brothers / the siblings
el fill	els fills	the sons / the children
l'avi	els avis	the grandfathers / the grandparents
el pare	els pares	the fathers / the parents

Examples in Context

Catalan	English	Note
El meu pare és metge.	My father is a doctor.	Possessive + family
Tinc dos germans i una germana.	I have two brothers and one sister.	Counting siblings
Com es diu la teva mare?	What is your mother's name?	Question with possessive
Els meus avis viuen a Girona.	My grandparents live in Girona.	Generic plural
La meva filla té tres anys.	My daughter is three years old.	Age with tenir
Tens germans?	Do you have siblings?	Common question
El meu oncle viu a València.	My uncle lives in Valencia.	Extended family
Som quatre a casa: els pares i dos fills.	There are four of us at home: the parents and two children.	Describing household
La seva cosina és molt simpàtica.	His/her cousin is very nice.	Third person possessive
Els meus nebots vénen a dinar diumenge.	My nephews/nieces come for lunch on Sunday.	Family gathering

Common Mistakes

Using "parents" as a false friend

• Wrong: Using parents to mean "parents"
• Right: pares (parents) — note: parents in Catalan means "relatives"
• Why: This is a common false friend. "Els meus pares" = my parents, "els meus parents" = my relatives.

Forgetting the generic masculine plural

• Confusion: els germans — does it mean "brothers" or "siblings"?
• Clarification: Context usually makes it clear. If needed: germans i germanes specifies both.
• Why: The masculine plural serves double duty as the mixed/generic plural in Catalan.

Mixing up "fill" (son) and "filla" (daughter)

• Wrong: Tinc dos filles.
• Right: Tinc dues filles.
• Why: Remember that "two" has gender forms in Catalan: dos (m) and dues (f).

Practice Tips

1. Draw your family tree and label every member in Catalan with possessives: "el meu pare," "la meva germana," "els meus avis."
2. Practice describing your family to an imaginary conversation partner: "Tinc una germana. Es diu... Viu a... Té... anys."
3. Ask and answer family questions: "Quants germans tens?" "Tens fills?" "On viuen els teus pares?"

Related Concepts

• Possessive Adjectives — essential for talking about family
• Numbers — for counting family members and stating ages