Ways to say it
| Spanish | IPA | Note |
|---|---|---|
| agregado familiar | /aɡɾeɡado familjaɾ/ (from spelling rules) | masculine |
| núcleo familiar | /nukleo familjaɾ/ (from spelling rules) | masculine |
| unidad doméstica | /unidad domestika/ (from spelling rules) | feminine |
| unidad cívica | /unidad θibika/ (Spain, from spelling rules) /unidad sibika/ (Latin America, from spelling rules) |
feminine |
The term is used to refer to the group of people living in the same residence. When using household as an adjective to describe things related to the home, such as chores, use the adjective hogareño.
Which one should you use?
While agregado familiar refers to the entire household, núcleo familiar specifically refers to the nuclear family unit. The term unidad doméstica is a technical or sociological term used to describe a household, similar to the English 'domestic unit'.
Is there a formal and an informal way to say it?
Unidad doméstica is a formal or technical term used in sociology to describe a household. Núcleo familiar is also a formal way to specify the nuclear family.
Related words
How does it change in a sentence?
agregado familiar and núcleo familiar are masculine nouns, while unidad doméstica and unidad cívica are feminine nouns.
How do you pronounce it?
/aɡɾeɡado familjaɾ/
Did you know?
- The word núcleo comes from the Latin word for 'nut kernel', reflecting the idea of a household as the hard center or seed of a larger social structure.
- In some administrative contexts, the term agregado familiar is used specifically for dependents who are added to a primary worker's social security or health insurance.
- While English uses 'household' for both people and tasks, Spanish uses hogareño to describe things related to the home, derived from hogar, which literally means 'hearth'.
Examples in context
- Debemos estudiar el tamaño del agregado familiar.We must study the size of the household.
- Cada agregado familiar tiene necesidades distintas.Each household has different needs.
Example conversation
Sofía and Mateo are filling out a government application form.
- SofíaMateo, ¿qué ponemos en la sección de agregado familiar?Mateo, what do we put in the household section?
- MateoPon que somos tres personas en total.Put that there are three people in total.
- SofíaTengo que incluir a tu primo también.I have to include your cousin too.
- MateoSí, él es parte del agregado familiar ahora.Yes, he is part of the household now.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “household” translations and entries agregado familiar, núcleo familiar, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- IPA marked “from spelling rules” is derived from standard Spanish spelling, where Wiktionary gives none.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries familiar, núcleo, unidad, CC BY-SA 4.0.
