mi familia
/mi familja/from spelling rules
In Spanish, "my family" is said as mi familia.
mi familia is a straightforward and neutral way to express the group of people related to the speaker.
Is it said differently in some regions?
In Mexico, it is common to use los míos to refer to one's family. In certain regions, the phrase mi gente (literally "my people") is used to refer to one's family or close friends.
How does it change in a sentence?
Because familia is a singular collective noun, it takes a singular verb, such as in mi familia es. If you use the plural form familias, you must also change the possessive adjective to mis to form mis familias. Additionally, when the phrase is the direct or indirect object of a verb involving a person, you must use the personal a before it, as in a mi familia.
Did you know?
- The word familia traces back to a Latin term describing the 'slave staff' of a household, rather than a biological bloodline.
- The phrase mi familia can be used in Spanish to describe an extended network of cousins and aunts, whereas English often distinguishes 'family' from 'extended family'.
Examples in context
- Odio a mi familia.I hate my family.This sentence shows how to use mi familia as an object with the personal a.Tatoeba #2680522 by Shishir, translation #2681482 by iainmb93
- Cuido a mi familia.I take care of my family.This sentence demonstrates the use of mi familia as an object with the personal a.Tatoeba #5205404 by Elyte, translation #5205168 by CK
- Mi familia la amaba.My family loved her.This sentence shows how mi familia acts as a singular subject.Tatoeba #4031621 by hayastan, translation #3912634 by CH
- Mi familia está compuesta por mis padres y mis tres hermanosMy family consists of my parents and my three siblings
- Aquí está mi familia, ¡son geniales!Here's my family, they're awesome!
- Voy a pasar la tarde con mi gente en casaI'm going to spend the afternoon with my folks at home
- Voy a pasar la Navidad con los míos en Guadalajara este año.I'm going to spend Christmas with my family in Guadalajara this year.
- 145 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
María and Daniel are looking at some old photographs.
- MaríaMira, aquí está mi familia.Look, here is my family.
- Daniel¡Qué bonita es tu familia!Your family is so lovely!
- MaríaSí, mi familia vive en España.Yes, my family lives in Spain.
- DanielMe gustaría conocerlos algún día.I would like to meet them someday.
Sources
- IPA marked “from spelling rules” is derived from standard Spanish spelling, where Wiktionary gives none.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries familia, mi, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
