Family is the most beautiful gift we receive in this life. It is a place to return after days of traveling, a place full of warm love where we share joy and happiness. So why don’t you learn English words and phrases about the family topic so that you can share your feelings about your sweet home with your foreign friends? In this article, Learn English Fun Way will share with you the entire list of family-related vocabulary. Let’s discover together!
I) Types of families
- Nuclear family
This is the traditional type of family structure. This family type consists of two parents and children but not includes aunts, uncles, grandparents, etc.
We average fewer than two children per nuclear family. - Extended family
This is a family that extends beyond the nuclear family, consisting of parents like father, mother, and their children, aunts, uncles, grandparents, and cousins, all living in the same household.
We tend to live in small nuclear families rather than large extended families - Blended family
This family consists of two adults, the child or children that they have had together, and one or more children that they have had with previous partners
Blended families now outnumber traditional families. - Single- parent family
This family consists of one parent raising one or more children on his own
Children from single-parent families are more likely to get lower grades or drop out of school - Childless family
This family consists of two partners living together without having children. This may be because they cannot or they don’t want to have children.
Childless family can feel excluded from the rest of society. - Grandparent family
This is a family where children live with their grandparents. Parents bear no responsibility in raising their kids.
That boy lives in a grandparent family, he has lived with his grandparents since he was born.
II) Family members
- Parents: a person’s father or mother
Sue and Ben have recently become parents. - Father: a male parent of a child; a person who is acting as the father to a child
Ben’s a wonderful father. - Mother: a female parent of a child or animal; a person who is acting as a mother to a child
She’s the mother of twins. - Child (plural: children) : a young human who is not yet an adult
The film is not suitable for young children. - Daughter: a person’s female child
They have three grown-up daughters.
- Son: a person’s male child
We have two sons and a daughter.
- Sibling: a brother or sister
The younger children were badly treated by older siblings.
- Spouse: a husband or wife
Fill in your spouse’s name here.
- Husband: the man that somebody is married to; a married man
She’s finally decided to leave her husband.
- Wife: the woman that somebody is married to; a married woman
He wants a divorce from his estranged wife.
- Grandparents: the father or mother of your father or mother
The children are staying with their grandparents.
- Grandfather: the father of your father or mother
The firm had been founded by his grandfather.
- Grandmother: the mother of your father or mother
I always loved going to visit my grandmother.
- Granddaughter: the daughter of a your son or daughter
She watched her little granddaughter skip down the path.
- Grandson: the son of a your son or daughter
Her estate went to her grandson. - Aunt: the sister of your father or mother; the wife of your uncle
My aunt lives in Canada.
- Uncle: the brother of your mother or father; the husband of your aunt
I’ve just become an uncle.
- Nephew: the son of your brother or sister; the son of your husband’s or wife’s brother or sister
I watched my two-year-old nephew toddling around after his puppy.
- Niece: the daughter of your brother or sister; the daughter of your husband’s or wife’s brother or sister
She’d always had a soft spot for her younger niece.
- Cousin: a child of your aunt or uncle
She’s a cousin of the bride.
- Father-in-law: the father of your husband or wife
His father- in-law was very aggressive as he hit his wife. - Mother-in-law: the mother of your husband or wife
My mother-in-law is a nice beautiful woman. - Sister-in-law: the sister of your husband or wife; your brother’s or sister’s wife; the wife of your husband’s or wife’s brother or sister
My sister-in-law is only a 10-year-old girl, she is still very young. - Brother-in-law: the brother of your husband or wife; your sister’s or brother’s husband; the husband of your husband’s or wife’s sister or brother
Her brother-in-law really takes after her husband. - Stepfather: the man who is married to your mother but who is not your real father
He lives at home with his mother and stepfather.
- Stepmother: the woman who is married to your father but who is not your real mother
Snow White’s stepmother is such a cruel woman. - Ex-husband: the man used to be your husband.
She still misses her ex-husband, who past away in an incident 3 years ago. - Ex-wife: the woman used to be your husband.
His ex-wife is much more beautiful than his “present” wife. - Half-brother: a boy or man with either the same mother or the same father as one has
He is my half-brother. - Half-sister: a girl or woman who has either the same mother or the same father as one has
My half-sister is very nice to me.
III) Common phrases about family
- To settle down: to start a family
I suppose once I settle down and have children, I’ll want to get on the property ladder.
The two families decided that it was time the couple settled down so they got down to the wedding preparation. - The coming of a new member: the time when a new member is born
Now my family are ready for the coming of a new member. - To be expecting a baby: if a woman is expecting, she is going to have a baby
Jane is expecting a baby. - To drift apart from: to lose contact, to lose one’s friendship or closeness
It is so easy to drift apart from your relatives if you don’t keep in touch with them regularly. - To enjoy someone’s company: find pleasure and satisfaction in being beside someone
We believe that we all enjoy each company in every day. - To fall for somebody: to fall in love with somebody
“Fall for you” is my favorite song that I listen to every day. - Take after: to look or behave like an older member of your family, especially your mother or father
My brother really takes after my father - Give birth to: to produce a baby
She has just given birth to a lovely girl. - Get married to somebody: become one’s wife or husband
John is very happy to get married to Sam. - Run in the family: to be a common feature in a particular family
Tanned skin runs in my family. - Get along with somebody: to have a friendly relationship with somebody
My daughter and son get along well with each other. - To tie the knot: to get married
I believe being present in a wedding is a real pleasure because tying the knot is one of the most important events in a person’s life - Flesh and blood: when you say that somebody is flesh and blood, you mean that they are a normal human with needs, emotions and weaknesses
We share the common emotions because we are flesh and blood. - Go/ turn grey: to become gray-haired; to become old
Parents work so hard to raise the children that their hair turn grey over the time. - Have a soft spot for: be fond of or affectionate toward.
He always has a soft spot for his younger baby
IV) Idioms about family
- Bring home the bacon: to make a living, to earn money, to achieve financial support for those at home
My mom – as a housewife, she does all the household chores, while my dad – as an officer, works outside and brings home the bacon. - Blood is thicker than water: used to emphasize that you believe that family connections are always more important than other types of relationship
You had better pay more attention to your family and relative than neighbor. Because blood is thicker than water. - A chip off the old block: someone who is very similar in character to their father or mother
Look at him, he reminds me much of his father. He’s a chip off the old block of Mr. Son - Like two peas in the same pot: used to say that two people or things are very similar to each other
The twins like two peas in the same pot, I can’t tell them apart though I meet them everyday at class. - Come hell or high water: no matter what difficulties may occur
My mother said that, though anything came hell or high water, she promised stand by and wait for me to come back. - Apple doesn’t fall far from tree: a child usually has a similar character or similar qualities to his or her parents
This year, he has just won the 1st prize in Math Competition. He studied so well, just as his father. You know that, apple doesn’t fall far from tree. - The apple of one’s eyes: a thing or person which someone loves above all others
My 2-year old little brother is the apple of parent’s eyes, he’s take after my father a lot. - Black sheep of the family: someone who makes bad decisions or has a bad reputation within a family unit
Being the black sheep of the family, I’m the only one who works as artist, while my parents are both teachers. - Men make houses, women make homes: used to say that it’s often the men who build or acquire houses for their families, but it’s usually women who provide the things that make a house into a home.
Folks rumored that men make houses, women make homes. So, in China, men often work outside to earn money, while women takes care for home.
