Chapter 10: Family in German

In the tenth chapter of our Basic German e-book, we are going to explore one of the most important and fundamental topics in any language: the family. In German, the family is called "die Familie". Learning about how to describe and discuss family is a crucial step in the German language learning journey as it allows us to share personal information, build connections and understand more about German culture.

1. Basic Vocabulary

First, let's start with some basic words you need to know to describe your family in German:

• The father - Der Vater
• The mother - Die Mutter
• The Brother - Der Bruder
• The sister - Die Schwester
• The son - Der Sohn
• The daughter - Die Tochter
• The husband - Der Ehemann
• The Wife - Die Ehefrau
• The parents - Die Eltern
• The children - Die Kinder

2. Family Extension

Now that we know the basic vocabulary, let's expand to members of the larger family:

• The grandfather - Der Großvater
• The grandmother - Die Großmutter
• The Uncle - Der Onkel
• The aunt - Die Tante
• The Cousin - Der Cousin
• The Cousin - Die Cousine
• The nephew - Der Neffe
• The niece - Die Nichte
• The father-in-law - Der Schwiegervater
• The mother-in-law - Die Schwiegermutter

3. Family Description

With the vocabulary we have already learned, we can begin to form simple sentences to describe our family. For example:

• My father is a teacher - Mein Vater ist Lehrer.
• My mother is a doctor - Meine Mutter ist Ärztin.
• I have a brother and a sister - Ich habe einen Bruder und eine Schwester.
• My grandparents are retired - Meine Großeltern sind im Ruhestand.

4. Questions about the Family

To ask family questions in German, you can use the following structures:

• Do you have siblings? - Hast du Geschwister?
• What is your mother's name? - Wie heißt deine Mutter?
• How old is your father? - Wie alt ist dein Vater?
• Is your grandfather still alive? - Lebt dein Großvater noch?

5. Answers about the Family

To answer questions about the family, you can use the following structures:

• Yes, I have a brother - Ja, ich habe einen Bruder.
• My mother's name is Anna - Meine Mutter heißt Anna.
• My father is 50 years old - Mein Vater ist 50 Jahre alt.
• No, my grandfather passed away - Nein, mein Großvater ist Gestorben.

With this chapter, you can start describing your family in German and ask questions about other people's families. Remember that practice is key to learning any language, so practice what you've learned with friends, teachers or classmates. In the next chapter, we will continue to expand our German vocabulary and conversation skills. Bis bald!