Members of a family in Portuguese – Naming relatives in Portuguese

Welcome to our Portuguese Basic Tips in which we are going to speak about family in Portuguese

Well, on today’s episode we are going to speak about names of members  of a family in Portuguese,  names of relatives. In Brazil, we usually call them “parentes”.

You may also like our podcast about interrogative sentences in Portuguese

There was a day I was talking with a girl who was learning to speak Portuguese. In the middle of the conversation, I asked her: então você não tem muito contato com os seus parentes do Brasil?

She answered: Eu acho que você não entendeu! Eu vivo com meus pais! (I live with my parents)

I realized that there was a misunderstanding at that conversation.

In Brazil, when we use the term “parentes”, we are referring to all members of a family. It’s something similar to the expression “relatives” in English.

If you only want to refer to your “parents”, you should use “os seus pais”, in the plural.

That said, let’s move forward to compare the main terms in English and in Portuguese.

Visit our episode about Portuguese gerund

Pai / Father – Family in Portuguese

If you want to refer to your father, you’ll use the word “pai”. Sometimes you can use the same word to refer to God. In this case, use a capital “P”.

For instance

Meu Pai, por favor, me ajude com esta situação. (Father, please, help me use this situation).

Don’t forget to mention if you are using uppercase or lowercase.

Mãe / Mother

If you want to refer to your mother, use the word “mãe”. Exactly: this word is pronounced with this closed sound. Repeat with me: mãe.

For instance,

Mãe, estou com fome (I’m hungry, mother!)

Irmão / Brother – Family in Portuguese

Speaking to your brother you’ll use the word “irmão”. Again a closed sound: irmão.

Ele é meu irmão mais velho (He is my elderly brother)

Irmã / Sister

Speaking to your sister, you should say “irmã”. I think this episode will be useful to train your pronunciation too.

Repeat with me: irmã. Yeah, as if we had the “n” letter in the end of it.

For instance:

Ela é a minha irmã mais nova (She is my little sister)

Padrasto means stepfather and Madrasta means stepmother

For instance:

Eu me dou bem com meu padrasto / Eu me dou bem com minha madrasta. (I get along with them)

Sogro means father in law – Sogra means mother in law

For instance: Eu gosto muito do meu sogro, mas não tanto da minha sogra. (I like my father in law very much, but I don’t like my mother in law)

Genro / Son in law

Meu genro vem muito aqui em casa (My son in law comes to my house very often)

Nora / Daughter in law

Minha nora vem muito aqui em casa (My daughter in law comes to my house very often)

Tio means uncle, while tia means aunt.

If you want to refer to both, use “tios”.

Eu estou esperando pelos meus tios. (I’m waiting for my uncle and I’m waiting for my aunt)

You are their “sobrinho” (nephew) or their “sobrinha” (niece).

If they have a son, he will be your “primo” (cousin), if they have a daughter; she will be your “prima” (cousin).

O seu avô is your grandfather – a sua avó is your grandmother

They are your “avós”, they are your grandparents. And you are their “neto” (grandson) or neta (grand daugther).

Esposa / Wife

Here in Brazil we use “esposa” when we mean “wife”. Sometimes, we also use the expression “minha mulher” (Literally: my woman).

For example:

Minha mulher está muito ocupada (My wife is very busy)

Marido / Husband

Unlike the other example, here in Brazil we don’t use the expression “meu homem” (my man) – or at least we don’t use it to refer to a husband. In this case, you can simply use the word “marido”.

For instance, a woman could say:

Vou falar com o meu marido (I will talk with my husband)

Ok, that’s the end of the episode of members of a family in Portuguese

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Visit our last episode about figurative meaning in Portuguese

By clicking here, you’ll find a few more related terms of relatives in Portuguese

See you next time!

Thanks.

Marcos Sales

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