Familie
/faˈmiːli̯ə/feminine
The German word for family is Familie.
Familie is the most straightforward translation for the English word family, referring to a group of people related by blood, marriage, law or custom. In professional settings, you might use the phrase Familiärer Kreis to mean 'family circle' when discussing family matters. In official contexts, such as academic writing or legal documents, the term Verwandtschaft is often used to refer specifically to kinship or one's extended family.
Meaning: group of people related by blood, marriage, law, or custom (noun)
Is it said differently in some regions?
In areas influenced by Low German dialects, you may encounter the term Familje.
Related words
How does it change in a sentence?
Familie is a feminine noun. The genitive singular form, meaning 'of the family', is der Familie. The dative plural form, meaning 'to the families', is den Familien.
How do you pronounce it?
/faˈmiːli̯ə/
Did you know?
- The word Familie shares its root with the Latin familia, which originally referred not just to blood relatives, but to the entire household, including servants and slaves.
- While Familie refers to your immediate or extended kin, Germans often use the term Sippschaft to describe a large group of relatives in a slightly mocking or informal way.
- If you want to describe someone as being part of your family without being blood-related, you might call them your Wahlfamilie, which literally translates to 'chosen family'.
Examples in context
- Tom ist wie Familie.Tom is like family.This sentence uses Familie to describe someone who is like family.Tatoeba #6625461 by Felixjp, translation #2273265 by CK
- Du bist wie Familie.You're like family.This sentence uses Familie to tell someone they are like family.Tatoeba #6626186 by Felixjp, translation #2218187 by CK
- Hat er eine Familie?Does he have a family?This sentence uses Familie to ask if someone has a family.Tatoeba #8659062 by Melang, translation #3628875 by MTC
- Ich komme aus einer großen Familie.I come from a large family.
- 1333 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Julian and Sarah are talking about their weekend plans.
- JulianBesuchst du deine Familie am Wochenende?Are you visiting your family this weekend?
- SarahJa, meine Familie wohnt in Berlin.Yes, my family lives in Berlin.
- JulianDas ist schön. Ich liebe meine Familie auch.That is nice. I love my family too.
- SarahWir können uns am Montag treffen, Julian.We can meet on Monday, Julian.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “family” translations and entries Familie, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries Familie, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
