Welcome to Unit 2! In this unit, you'll learn to talk about the people closest to you — your family. Today's lesson covers the basic family members: parents, siblings, children, and grandparents. You'll also discover how Spanish nouns have gender and how the articles 'el' and 'la' work. By the end of this lesson, you'll be able to introduce your family members!
Learning tips
- Family vocabulary comes in natural pairs: papá/mamá, hermano/hermana, abuelo/abuela. Learning them in pairs makes it easier to remember both the words and the gender pattern.
- In Spanish, every noun has a gender — even non-living things! Family members make this easy because the gender matches the person: el hermano (male), la hermana (female).
- To make most nouns plural, just add -s: hermano → hermanos. If a noun ends in a consonant, add -es.
- 'Los padres' can mean 'the parents' (mom and dad together), not just 'the fathers.' This is a common pattern in Spanish where the masculine plural includes both genders.
Warm-up & Active Recall
| Word | Meaning |
|---|---|
| de nada | you're welcome |
| perdón | sorry/pardon |
| disculpe | excuse me (formal) |
| con permiso | excuse me (passing) |
| lo siento | I'm sorry |
| ¿cómo? | what?/pardon? |
| claro | of course |
| con mucho gusto | with great pleasure |
| amable | kind/nice |
| la persona | the person |
Dialog
Valentina shows Andrés a family photo and names each person. Notice how Spanish uses definite articles (el, la) with family members: 'mi mamá' (my mom), 'el hijo' (the son). When talking about family, 'los padres' means 'the parents' (both mom and dad). Pay attention to how plural nouns are formed: hermano → hermanos, padre → padres.
Vocabulary
Active words
| Word | IPA | Translation | Note |
|---|---|---|---|
| la familia | /fa.ˈmi.lja/ | the family | Always feminine: la familia |
| la mamá | /ma.ˈma/ | the mom, mother | Informal; formal: la madre |
| el papá | /pa.ˈpa/ | the dad, father | Informal; formal: el padre |
| el hermano | /eɾ.ˈma.no/ | the brother | |
| la hermana | /eɾ.ˈma.na/ | the sister | |
| el hijo | /ˈi.xo/ | the son | |
| la hija | /ˈi.xa/ | the daughter | |
| el abuelo | /a.ˈβwe.lo/ | the grandfather | |
| la abuela | /a.ˈβwe.la/ | the grandmother | |
| los padres | /ˈpa.ðɾes/ | the parents | Masculine plural includes both mother and father |
Passive words
| Word | IPA | Translation | Note |
|---|---|---|---|
| el bebé | /be.ˈβe/ | the baby | Always masculine: el bebé, even for baby girls |
| los gemelos | /xe.ˈme.los/ | the twins | |
| la mascota | /mas.ˈko.ta/ | the pet | |
| el perro | /ˈpe.ro/ | the dog | |
| el gato | /ˈɡa.to/ | the cat | |
| la foto | /ˈfo.to/ | the photo | Short for 'la fotografía' |
Useful chunks
| Word | Translation |
|---|---|
| mi familia | my family |
| los padres | the parents (mom and dad) |
Grammar: Definite articles (el, la, los, las) with family members — plural formation of nouns
| Singular | Plural | Example |
|---|---|---|
| el (masculine) | los | el hermano → los hermanos |
| la (feminine) | las | la hermana → las hermanas |
| Family member | Masculine | Feminine | Plural |
|---|---|---|---|
| Parent | el papá | la mamá | los padres |
| Sibling | el hermano | la hermana | los hermanos |
| Child | el hijo | la hija | los hijos |
| Grandparent | el abuelo | la abuela | los abuelos |
Every Spanish noun has a gender — either masculine or feminine. This is one of the biggest differences from English.
Definite articles (the):
- el = the (masculine singular): el papá, el hermano
- la = the (feminine singular): la mamá, la hermana
- los = the (masculine plural): los padres, los hermanos
- las = the (feminine plural): las hermanas, las abuelas
Making plurals:
- Nouns ending in a vowel: add -s → hermano → hermanos, abuela → abuelas
- Nouns ending in a consonant: add -es → (you'll see this pattern more later)
Family pattern: Most family nouns come in masculine/feminine pairs:
- el hermano / la hermana (brother / sister)
- el abuelo / la abuela (grandfather / grandmother)
- el hijo / la hija (son / daughter)
When referring to a mixed group, Spanish uses the masculine plural: 'los hermanos' can mean 'the brothers' OR 'the siblings (brothers and sisters).'
Exercises
Fill in the Blanks
Complete each sentence with the missing word.
- mamá es muy amable.(feminine article or possessive for 'mom')
- Él es mi . Ella es mi hermana.(male sibling)
- Los de Valentina son colombianos.(word for 'parents')
- Mi y mi abuela viven en Bogotá.(male grandparent)
- Ella es hija. Él es el hijo.(feminine article for 'daughter')
Grammar Application
Apply the plural rules to these family members.
- Make plural: el hermano → (masculine article + add -s)
- Make plural: la abuela → (feminine article + add -s)
- Which article? familia(feminine noun = feminine article)
- Make plural: el hijo → (masculine article + add -s)
- Which article? padres(masculine plural article)
Translation (English → Spanish)
Translate each sentence into Spanish.
- She is my mom.
- He is Valentina's brother.
- The grandparents are from Bogotá.
- I have a son and a daughter.
- My family is big.
Creative Construction
Write 2-3 sentences about your family (real or imaginary). Use family vocabulary, articles, and plurals.
Takeaway
Spanish family nouns come in masculine/feminine pairs (hermano/hermana, abuelo/abuela) and use articles el/la (singular) and los/las (plural). To make plurals, add -s to vowel endings. 'Los padres' means 'the parents.'