tengo una familia pequeña
/tenɡo una familja pekeɲa/from spelling rules
To say "I have a small family" in Spanish, use tengo una familia pequeña.
This phrase is used to say that there are only a few people in one's family.
What does it mean word for word?
A literal translation of tengo una familia pequeña is "I have a family small," as the adjective pequeña typically follows the noun familia it describes.
Which one should you use?
You can also express this idea by saying mi familia es pequeña (my family is small). For a more affectionate tone, you can use the diminutive form pequeñita in the phrase Mi familia es pequeñita (My family is small).
How does it change in a sentence?
In the phrase tengo una familia pequeña, the verb tengo is the first-person singular present indicative of the verb tener (to have).
Did you know?
- The word familia originally referred to the 'staff of slaves' or household servants that belonged to a master in a Roman household.
- In many Spanish-speaking cultures, the concept of familia is much broader than the English 'family', often including godparents and close friends as if they were blood relatives.
- When describing your small family, you might use the word hogar to refer to your home, a term that etymologically evokes the warmth of a fireplace.
Examples in context
- Tengo una familia pequeña, solo somos cuatro.I have a small family, there are only four of us.
- No tengo muchos parientes, tengo una familia pequeña.I don't have many relatives, I have a small family.
- Tengo una familia pequeña y muy unida.I have a small and very close-knit family.
Example conversation
María and Javier are talking about their relatives during a coffee break.
- María¿Tienes muchos hermanos o primos?Do you have many siblings or cousins?
- JavierNo, tengo una familia pequeña.No, I have a small family.
- MaríaEntiendo, la mía también es pequeña.I understand, mine is small too.
- JavierEs mejor así, es más tranquilo.It is better this way, it is quieter.
Sources
- IPA marked “from spelling rules” is derived from standard Spanish spelling, where Wiktionary gives none.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries familia, una, CC BY-SA 4.0.
