Portuguese Family Vocabulary: Parents, Siblings, Cousins, and In-Laws — Practice

Start with parents, children, and siblings

The basic words are mãe (mother), pai (father), pais (parents), filho/filha (son/daughter), and irmão/irmã (brother/sister). Add the plural forms irmãos and irmãs when describing a group. Brazilian Portuguese often uses a possessive before a family word: minha mãe, meu pai, meus irmãos.

Notice that the possessive agrees with the family word, not with the person speaking. Say minha irmã and meu irmão, regardless of the speaker’s gender. Learning the noun and possessive together helps you make a complete phrase quickly.

Add grandparents, aunts, uncles, and cousins

Avó and avô mean grandmother and grandfather; avós means grandparents. Tia and tio mean aunt and uncle, while prima and primo mean female and male cousin. These words change their ending to match gender and number: primos can refer to a masculine or mixed group, while primas refers to a group of women.

If a family relationship is not clear, say the person’s name and explain the connection. Portuguese family vocabulary can be adapted for different family structures; use the words that accurately describe your own family.

Talk about a partner’s family and in-laws

Sogro and sogra refer to a father-in-law and mother-in-law, while cunhado and cunhada mean brother-in-law and sister-in-law. Use these words when you know the relationship and want to explain it simply. To keep a conversation going, ask what a relative enjoys doing or where they live.

Family conversations can be personal. Share only what you are comfortable discussing, and ask open but gentle questions. You can talk about a weekend visit or a family tradition instead of giving private details.

Ask and answer family questions naturally

Start with Você tem irmãos? or Sua família mora aqui? Answer with one short fact, then ask a related follow-up question. For example, mention where a relative lives and ask whether the other person visits their family often. This creates a two-way conversation instead of a list of vocabulary questions.

Use this article with the Real Life Portuguese guide to meeting a Brazilian partner’s family and the possessives lesson. I Speak Portuguese teachers can help you practice introducing relatives and asking follow-up questions in a natural, comfortable tone.

Remember: Learn family words with their gender and possessive: minha mãe, meu pai, meus irmãos, minhas primas. Share only details you are comfortable discussing.

Check your understanding

Choose the English meaning of each Portuguese example. Answer before looking back at the tables. These questions check the written examples in this guide; they are not a listening or proficiency test.

Recall the Portuguese, then say it

Read the English prompt and say a Portuguese version before opening the answer. The answer shows the example from the lesson; other natural translations may also work. Compare the meaning and the situation rather than counting a different word as automatically wrong.

1. My mother lives in Curitiba.

   Show a Portuguese answer

   Minha mãe mora em Curitiba.

2. I have two brothers and one sister.

   Show a Portuguese answer

   Tenho dois irmãos e uma irmã.

3. My parents like to travel.

   Show a Portuguese answer

   Meus pais gostam de viajar.

4. My grandmother and grandfather live in the countryside.

   Show a Portuguese answer

   Minha avó e meu avô moram no interior.

5. My uncle has three children.

   Show a Portuguese answer

   Meu tio tem três filhos.

6. I’m having lunch with my female cousins on Sunday.

   Show a Portuguese answer

   Vou almoçar com minhas primas no domingo.

Make the phrase useful to you

Choose one example you could actually use. Say it once from memory, then change one detail that fits your life, such as the person, place, time, or object. Check whether your change also needs a different verb form, article, or adjective ending. If it does, compare it with the pattern in the explanation.

Learn family words with their gender and possessive: minha mãe, meu pai, meus irmãos, minhas primas. Share only details you are comfortable discussing.

Return to two prompts tomorrow without opening the answers first. If a phrase still feels difficult, shorten it to a useful chunk and build the complete sentence again.

Sources and your next lesson

This I Speak Portuguese practice guide builds on our Portuguese Family Vocabulary: Parents, Siblings, Cousins, and In-Laws lesson on Real Life Portuguese, with written recall tasks and additional speaking practice. The explanations and examples are teaching material; the practice questions are exercises, not a transcript of a recording.

To add Brazilian audio to your routine, choose a lesson in the Real Life Portuguese app. The app offers its own lessons and practice; this page does not imply that every example here has an app recording.