familia real
/familja ɾeal/from spelling rulesfeminine
The English phrase 'royal family' is translated into Spanish as familia real.
familia real refers to the family of the ruling sovereign of a country or state. In formal contexts, you may also see the phrase La Familia Real used as a common way to refer to the institution.
Meaning: family of the ruling sovereign of a country or state (noun)
What does it mean word for word?
The phrase is composed of familia (family) and real (royal), following the standard Spanish word order where the noun is followed by the adjective.
How does it change in a sentence?
Because familia is a feminine noun, you must use the feminine article la when referring to the royal family (la familia real). To make the phrase plural, both the noun and the adjective must change to their plural forms: las familias reales.
Did you know?
- In Spanish, the word real can also refer to a former silver coin used in Spain and its colonies, which is why the 'Spanish dollar' was called a real de a ocho.
- The term familia traces back to a Latin word that originally described the 'slave staff' of a household.
- When talking about the 'bloodline' of a familia real, Spanish speakers may use the word estirpe, which emphasizes nobility and ancestral purity more than the word familia.
Examples in context
- Esta tierra le pertenece a la familia real.This land belongs to the Royal Family.This sentence shows how to use familia real to indicate ownership of land.Tatoeba #2721667 by marcelostockle, translation #57678 by papabear
- La familia real vive en el Palacio Imperial.The royal family lives in the Imperial Palace.This sentence uses familia real to describe where the family lives.Tatoeba #1196301 by marcelostockle, translation #25614 by madhatter5
- Kate se ha convertido en un miembro de pleno derecho de la familia real.Kate has become a full member of the royal family.This sentence demonstrates using familia real when referring to a member of the family.Tatoeba #1713966 by teskmon, translation #1573123 by eastasiastudent
- El rey Juan Carlos es miembro de la familia real de España.King Juan Carlos is a member of the royal family of Spain.
- 4 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Sofía and Daniel are discussing a news report about a monarchy.
- SofíaMira las fotos de la familia real.Look at the photos of the royal family.
- DanielSe ven muy elegantes en el evento.They look very elegant at the event.
- SofíaLa familia real siempre sigue protocolos estrictos.The royal family always follows strict protocols.
- DanielTienes razón, Sofía, es muy interesante.You are right, Sofía, it is very interesting.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “royal family” translations, 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 familia, real, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
