German Family Vocabulary

Here are German words for family to start with: Bruder (brother), Tochter (daughter), Vater (father), Großvater (grandfather). Below are 40 words (A1–C2) with their English translations and part of speech, across 5 themed lists.

A mother kissing her young daughter on the cheek
Photo: StockSnap

Family Basics

A1
EnglishGermanTypeLevel
brotherBrudernounA1
daughterTochternounA1
fatherVaternounA1
grandfatherGroßvaternounA1
grandmotherGroßmutternounA1
motherMutternounA1
sisterSchwesternounA1
sonSohnnounA1

Family Intermediate

A1–B1
EnglishGermanTypeLevel
auntTantenounA1
childKindnounA1
cousinCousinnounA1
husbandEhemannnounA1
parentElternteilnounA1
uncleOnkelnounA1
wifeEhefraunounA1
in-lawangeheirateter VerwandternounB1

The rest of this pack is in the app

Family Advanced

A2–C2
EnglishGermanTypeLevel
ancestorVorfahrnounA2
generationGenerationnounA2
siblingGeschwisternounB1
heritageErbenounB2
spouseEhepartnernounB2
lineageAbstammungnounC1
genealogyGenealogienounC2
progenyNachkommennounC2

Social Roles

B1–B2
EnglishGermanTypeLevel
politicianPolitikernounB1
residentBewohnernounB1
volunteerFreiwilligernounB1
activistAktivistnounB2
bureaucratBürokratnounB2
civil servantBeamternounB2
public servantStaatsdienernounB2
shareholderAktionärnounB2

More from this pack waits in the app

Life Events

A1–B2
EnglishGermanTypeLevel
birthGeburtnounA1
childhoodKindheitnounA2
deathTodnounA2
adulthoodErwachsenenalternounB1
parenthoodElternschaftnounB1
divorceScheidungnounB2
relocationUmzugnounB2
retirementRuhestandnounB2

Keep going with this pack in the app

Emoji: Twemoji, CC-BY 4.0

A sample of the A1–C2 words. The rest are in the app

Watch Your LanguageVocabulary widgets for iPhone & Apple Watch

These lists show a sample of the A1–C2 words for family. The packs in Watch Your Language hold more and reach the advanced levels, along with every other topic.

The app shows them to you a few at a time, in a widget on your iPhone Lock Screen and on your Apple Watch face, and brings back the ones you keep forgetting.

Common questions

Which German words should I learn for family?

You could start with words like Bruder (brother), Tochter (daughter), Vater (father), Großvater (grandfather). This page lists 40 German words for family (A1–C2), each with its English translation and part of speech.

How can I remember these German words?

Reading a list once is rarely enough. Watch Your Language shows German words like these in a widget on your iPhone Lock Screen and on your Apple Watch face, and schedules repeats so the words you keep forgetting come back more often.

Are these word lists free?

Yes. The lists on this page are free to read, with no sign-up. The app holds more words for each topic.

More German word lists