French · Family

Family & Relationships in French

Maman, papa, conjoint, enfants — introducing people the French way.

51 entries ·Introductions, kids, partners · Audio on every entry · cross-checked

You're at a dinner party in Lyon. Your host's mother walks in, and your host turns to you and says something fast — a name, a relationship word, maybe two. You catch ma femme and smile, but the next one flies past you. Was that his brother? His brother-in-law? His stepfather? French family vocabulary is full of these close-but-not-the-same distinctions, and getting them wrong in a real room feels worse than getting them wrong in a textbook.

This page covers the words and phrases you actually need: immediate family, extended family, in-laws, step-relations, and the casual terms French speakers use when they're not being formal. You'll also find phrases for introducing family members, talking about your own household, and asking politely about someone else's.

The page is organized in clusters — core family words first, then extended and blended family, then useful phrases for introductions and small talk. Each entry includes the French, a literal gloss where it helps, and a natural English equivalent.

Every translation and audio clip on this page has been checked by a native speaker. If something looks off, there's a feedback link at the bottom.

French family and relationship phrases

Full index · ordered A → Z

La famille avant tout. la fa-MEEY ah-VAHN TOO
Transmets mes amitiés à ta famille. trahn-SMEH meh-zah-mee-TYEH ah tah fah-MEEY
Il a les yeux de sa mère. eel ah lay ZYUH duh sah MEHR
Il est comme un frère pour moi. eel eh kom uhn FRAIR poor mwah
Comment va ta famille ? koh-MAHN vah tah fah-MEEY
J'ai un enfant. zhay uhn ahn-FAHN
J'ai trois enfants. zheh TRWAZ ahn-FAHN
J'ai deux frères et sœurs. zhay duh FRAR-zay SUR
Je suis enfant unique. zhuh swee ahn-FAHN OO-neek
Ma famille est bruyante. mah fah-MEE eh broo-YAHNT
Mon beau-père moh(n) boh-PAIR
mon parrain mohn pah-RAHN
ma marraine mah mah-REN
ma belle-mère mah BEL-mehr
mon neveu mohn nuh-VUH
ma nièce mah nee-ESS
mon frère aîné mohn frehr ay-NAY
Mes parents habitent à mez pa-RAHN ah-BEET ah
mon beau-père mohn buh-PAIR
Ma belle-mère mah bel-MEHR
ma sœur cadette mah SUR kah-DET
Elle tient de son père. ell tee-EN duh sohn PAIR
C'est ma meilleure amie. seh mah meh-YOOR ah-MEE
Ce sont mes enfants. suh SOHN mayz ahn-FAHN
Ils sont comme de la famille. eel sohn kom duh lah fah-MEE-yuh
C'est ma tante. seh mah tahnt
C'est mon copain. seh mohn ko-PAHN
C'est mon frère. say moh(n) FRair
C'est mon cousin. seh mohn koo-ZAN
C'est mon père. seh mohn PEHR
C'est ma fille. seh mah FEE-yuh
C'est mon ami. seh mohn nah-MEE
C'est ma petite amie. sayt mah pee-TEET ah-MEE
Voici ma grand-mère. vwah-SEE mah GRAW(n) mehr
C'est mon grand-père. say moh(n) grahn-PAIR
Voici mon mari. vwah-SEE mohn mah-REE
C'est ma mère. seh mah MEHR
Voici mon/ma partenaire. vwah-SEE moh(n) / mah pahrt-neh(r)
C'est ma sœur. seh mah SUR
C'est mon fils. seh mohn FEESS
C'est mon oncle. seh mohn ohn-k'luh
Ceci est ma femme. suh-SEE eh mah FAHM
On ne s'entend pas. ohn nuh sahn-tahn PA
Nous nous sommes mariés l'année dernière. noo noo sohm mah-ree-AY lah-NAY dehr-NYAIR
On se ressemble beaucoup. ohn suh ruh-SAHM-bluh boh-KOO
Nous sommes fiancés noo soh-mah-fEE-ahn-SAY
Nous attendons un bébé. noo zah-tahn-DOHN uh BAY-bay
Nous divorçons. noo DEE-vor-SOH(N)
Nous restons chez de la famille. noo ruhs-TOHN shay duh lah fah-MEE-yuh
Nous sommes jumeaux. noo sohm zhoo-MOH
Nous sommes très proches. noo som treh PROSH

Frequently asked

how do you say mother-in-law in French

The standard word is belle-mère, which literally means "beautiful mother" — the beau/belle prefix covers all in-law relationships in French. The same root gives you beau-père (father-in-law), beau-frère (brother-in-law), and belle-sœur (sister-in-law). Context usually makes it clear, but if you need to be precise, French speakers will sometimes add de mon mari or de ma femme.

what is the difference between conjoint and époux in French

Époux (masculine) and épouse (feminine) specifically mean husband and wife — they imply legal marriage and show up on official forms. Conjoint is broader and more neutral, covering a spouse or a long-term partner, and it's the word you'll hear most in everyday conversation. If you're filling out paperwork in France, use époux/épouse; if you're just talking about your partner at dinner, conjoint or mon compagnon / ma compagne both work fine.

how do French people introduce family members to strangers

The most natural opener is Je te présente (informal) or Je vous présente (formal), followed by the name and then the relationship — for example, Je te présente Claire, ma sœur. French speakers often drop the article and just say the relationship word directly after the name, which can sound abrupt to English ears but is completely normal. You'll find a full set of introduction phrases in the phrases section of this page.

is there a French word for stepmother or stepfather

Yes — belle-mère and beau-père do double duty for both in-laws and step-parents, which can occasionally cause confusion. To be unambiguous, French speakers often say ma mère adoptive or use the prefix beau/belle with added context. In casual speech, many people just say la femme de mon père (my father's wife) or le mari de ma mère to keep things clear.