My family
Once people have got to know you a bit more, they may also want to ask about your family – deine Familie.
If you have no brother or sister, or if you're an only child you can say the following:
- ich habe keinen Bruder – I don't have a brother
- ich habe keine Schwester – I don't have a sister
- ich habe keine Geschwister – I don't have any siblings
- ich bin Einzelkind – I am an only child
Hilfsvokabeln – Helpful vocabulary
Male
- mein Vater – my father
- mein Papa – my dad
- mein Stiefvater – my stepfather
- mein Bruder – my brother
- mein Stiefbruder – my stepbrother
- mein Großvater – my grandfather
- mein Opa – my grandpa
- mein Onkel – my uncle
- mein Cousin – my cousin
Female
- meine Mutter – my mother
- meine Mama – my mum
- meine Stiefmutter – my stepmother
- meine Schwester – my sister
- meine Stiefschwester – my stepsister
- meine Großmutter – my grandmother
- meine Oma – my granny
- meine Tante – my aunt
- meine Cousine – my cousin
Plural
- meine Eltern – my parents
- meine Geschwister – my siblings
- meine Großeltern – my grandparents
Look at the picture and answer the questions.
Question
If you were Tom, how would you answer this question?
Hast du Geschwister?
Hast du Geschwister? – Do you have any brothers and sisters?
Ja, ich habe einen Bruder und eine Schwester.– Yes, I have one brother and one sister.
Question
If you were Tom, how would you answer the following question, giving as much detail as possible?
Wie viele Personen gibt es in deiner Familie?
You could start by saying - in meiner Familie gibt es...
Wie viele Personen gibt es in deiner Familie? – How many people are there in your family?
In meiner Familie gibt es fünf Personen.– In my family there are five people.
Mein Vater heißt Walter und meine Mutter heißt Christina.– My father is called Walter and my mother is called Christina.
Wir sind drei Geschwister – mein Bruder heißt Max, meine Schwester heißt Ingrid und ich heiße Tom.– There are three brothers and sisters – my brother is called Max, my sister is called Ingrid and I am called Tom.
Did you know?
Germany has the lowest birth rate in the world, so many Germans have no siblings.
As a result, the percentage of people aged 20 and 65 in employment is predicted to fall from 61 per cent to 54 per cent by 2030.
This will have a serious effect on the German economy, which needs a strong labour force to remain buoyant.
Experts advise that the participation of women and young immigrants in the workforce will be key in order to avoid severe economic issues.
