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Talking About Your Family
Describe your family members, talk about what they do, and ask others about theirs
Possessive Adjectives
Mi, Tu, Su
To talk about family, you need to say whose family member it is. Spanish uses short possessives that go before the noun — and they change for singular vs. plural.
mi mamámy mom
mis hermanosmy siblings
tu papáyour dad (informal)
tus hijosyour kids
su esposahis/her/your (formal) wife
sus abueloshis/her/your (formal) grandparents
Singular vs. Plural
The possessive matches the noun it modifies, not the owner. "Mi" becomes "mis" before a plural noun, regardless of whether there's one owner or many.
mi hermana → mis hermanasmy sister → my sisters
tu primo → tus primosyour cousin → your cousins
Ser vs. Tener for Describing Family
Ser — Who They Are
Use "ser" to describe identity, personality, and relationships.
Mi mamá es maestra.My mom is a teacher.
Mi hermano es muy chistoso.My brother is really funny.
Tener — What You Have
Use "tener" to say how many family members you have and their ages.
Tengo dos hermanas.I have two sisters.
Mi abuela tiene setenta años.My grandma is seventy years old.
Immediate Family
Extended Family
Describing Family Members
Family Talk (Northern Mexico)
Talking About Your Family
Ready to Practice?
You're having coffee with someone you've recently become friends with. You've hung out a few times but haven't really talked about your families yet. Share about your family and ask about theirs.
Start Lab: Getting to Know Each Other's Families