Spanish Word of the Day: Familia (family)

Family life forms the foundation of Spanish culture, taking precedence over all other things in life including job success and material possessions. This is a value that is embraced not only by the Spanish but also many Latino countries where Spanish is spoken.

The Spanish word for family is the similar sounding familia. Both words can trace their origins back to the Latin familia (household servants, family), from famulus (servant).

Familia is a feminine noun, so it takes the following definite and indefinite articles:

• la familia = the family
• las familias = the families
• una familia = a family
• unas familias = some families

Families come in all shapes and sizes as we can see below:

• familia monoparental = single-parent family
• familia extendida = extended family
• familia política = in-laws
• familia adoptiva = adoptive family
• familia nuclear = nuclear family
• familia numerosa = large family
• familia real = royal family
• familia de acogida = foster family

By extension, family can also refer to one’s children, especially one’s future children, as in the expression tener familia (to start a family).

If you want to ask if two people are related in Spanish, you can say ¿Sois / son familia? which literally means Are you family?

Familia can also refer to groups of related things, such as a familia de lenguas (family of languages) or a familia de instrumentos (family of instruments), or communities with shared interests or goals.

There are two ways to say that something runs in the family in Spanish – venir de familia, which describes any trait, be it positive or negative, that many family members inherit, and mal de familia, which indicates a negative trait.

• Su pasión por la pintura viene de familia. = Her passion for painting runs in the family.
• La terquedad es mal de familia. = Stubbornness runs in the family.

Here are a few terms and expressions containing familia that are worth memorising:

Idiomatic expressions featuring familia