Portuguese Family Vocabulary: Parents, Siblings, Cousins, and In-Laws
Build a clear family vocabulary map and use possessives to describe how people are related to you.
Real Life Portuguese · 8 min read · Updated October 14, 2026
The short answer
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.
Start with parents, children, and siblings
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.
Minha mãe mora em Curitiba.
My mother lives in Curitiba.
Tenho dois irmãos e uma irmã.
I have two brothers and one sister.
Meus pais gostam de viajar.
My parents like to travel.
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.
Minha avó e meu avô moram no interior.
My grandmother and grandfather live in the countryside.
Meu tio tem três filhos.
My uncle has three children.
Vou almoçar com minhas primas no domingo.
I’m having lunch with my female cousins on Sunday.
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.
Minha sogra mora perto da praia.
My mother-in-law lives near the beach.
Você tem irmãos?
Do you have siblings?
Minha cunhada trabalha em São Paulo.
My sister-in-law works in São Paulo.
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.
Você tem primos nesta cidade?
Do you have cousins in this city?
Minha família mora longe, então nos vemos nas férias.
My family lives far away, so we see each other during holidays.
Com quem você costuma passar o domingo?
Who do you usually spend Sunday with?
Put it into practice
Learn family words with their gender and possessive: minha mãe, meu pai, meus irmãos, minhas primas. Share only details you are comfortable discussing.
Quick practice
Which Portuguese example matches “Who do you usually spend Sunday with”?
Choose an answer to check yourself.
Keep practicing with the Real Life Portuguese app
Build on this guide with everyday expressions and native Brazilian audio. Choose iPhone, Android, or the web app.