Want to talk about your family in German? In this friendly A1 guide, you’ll learn the most useful family words, how to say “my” and “your” with mein/meine, and how to use the verb haben (to have) to describe your family. We’ll keep it practical with real-world phrases, short grammar notes, cultural insights, and quick exercises to check your understanding.

Core family words you’ll use every day

Here are essential German family terms you’ll hear constantly. Pay attention to gender (der/die/das) and common plurals — it helps you choose mein or meine correctly and build simple sentences.

Possessives: mein vs. meine (my) and dein vs. deine (your)

At A1, you’ll often say “my mother,” “your brother,” etc. German uses different forms depending on gender and number of the noun.

Vater heißt Jonas.

Das sind Eltern.

Handy patterns

• mein Bruder, meine Schwester
• mein Kind, meine Kinder
• dein Bruder, deine Schwester
• Hast du Geschwister? Ja, ich habe Geschwister.

Using the verb haben (to have)

To talk about how many family members you have, use haben in the present tense.

Wir zwei Kinder.

Grandparents and extended family

German has both formal and informal terms. In everyday speech, most people use the informal ones with family.

Cultural note: what people really say

• With family, German speakers commonly use informal terms: Mama and Papa (or Mutti and Vati) for parents; Oma and Opa for grandparents. Mutter/Vater and Großmutter/Großvater sound more formal.
• In the family, you use du (informal “you”). Sie (formal) is for strangers or formal situations.
• Introducing family members is simple: “Das ist mein Bruder.” or “Das ist meine Mutter.” Add a detail: “Sie wohnt in Köln.”

Practice choosing mein/meine and dein/deine

Use the noun’s gender/number to pick the right form.

Ich bin zwei Brüder. → Ich habe zwei Brüder. Use “haben” to talk about family members you have. Meine Vater ist nett. → Mein Vater ist nett. Masculine singular nouns take “mein,” not “meine.” Meine Eltern ist nett. → Meine Eltern sind nett. Eltern is plural, so use “sind,” not “ist.”

Useful mini-phrases to share your family

• Ich habe zwei Geschwister. Meine Schwester ist 20, und mein Bruder ist 18.
• Wir haben ein Kind. Unser Kind ist sehr aktiv!
• Das ist meine Tante. Sie wohnt in Wien.
• Mein Opa ist freundlich. Meine Oma backt Kuchen.
• Deine Eltern? Sind sie hier? – Ja, sie sind da.

Wrap-up: you did it!

You learned core German family vocabulary, how to choose mein/meine and dein/deine, and how to use haben to describe your family. Keep practicing by introducing real people in your life: “Das ist meine Mutter. Sie heißt Anna. Wir wohnen in Hamburg.” Short, clear sentences win at A1.

Next step: write 3 sentences about your family using at least one mein/meine and haben. Say them out loud — then try the small talk conversation above with a friend!