This introduction covers La familia — Core Family Vocabulary within Family relationships for GCSE Spanish. Revise Family relationships in Theme 1 — People & Lifestyle for GCSE Spanish with 13 exam-style questions and 15 flashcards. Use this page as part of a wider topic revision path rather than treating it as an isolated fact. It is section 1 of 4 in this topic. Use this introduction to connect the idea to the wider topic before moving on to questions and flashcards.
👨👩👧👦 La familia — Core Family Vocabulary
| Spanish | English |
|---|---|
| la madre / la mamá | mother / mum |
| el padre / el papá | father / dad |
| el/la hermano/a | brother / sister |
| el/la abuelo/a | grandfather / grandmother |
| el/la tío/a | uncle / aunt |
| el/la primo/a | cousin (m/f) |
| el/la hijo/a | son / daughter |
| la pareja | partner |
| el/la novio/a | boyfriend / girlfriend |
| los padres | parents (always plural) |
| los abuelos | grandparents |
⭐ Key grammar point — tengo, not hay
Tengo is the verb to use for family members: Tengo un hermano mayor. (I have an older brother.) Not hay. The verb hay means "there is / there are" and is used impersonally — it sounds unnatural when the family is your own. Compare: Tengo dos hermanos (personal) vs Hay dos estudiantes en la clase (impersonal).