55 Ways to Say Family in Different Languages

No matter where you live in the world, there's a word in that language for those you hold nearest and dearest to your heart — family.

Updated April 30, 2024
Several children smiling and hugging

Family — they're the people you hold closest to your heart. Whether it's your family of origin or the found family you have built in community around you, the concept is a powerful one throughout the world. And virtually every language has a word to describe family. Discover how to say family in different languages and see how others communicate this important concept. 

How to Say Family in African Languages

Some of the more widespread African languages include Swahili, Xhosa, and Yoruba. You'll find that the word "family" in different languages across Africa sounds very distinct from each other.

Language

Translation

Pronunciation

Igbo

ezinụlọ

ay-zee-no-low

Somali

qoyska

koi-skah

Swahili

familia

fa-meel-e-ya

Xhosa

usapho

u-sah-fo

Yoruba

ẹbi

ay-be

Zulu

umndeni

umn-de-ni

How to Say Family in Asian Languages

Just as with African languages, the translation of the word "family" in Asian languages varies quite a bit. But no matter where you roam or how you say it, families are similar all around the world.

Father holding cheerful little girl under autumn leaves

Language

Translation

Pronunciation

Burmese

misarrhcu

mee-sahr-su

Chinese

jiātíng

jya-ting

Hindi

parivaar

pahr-ee-vahr

Hmong

tsev neeg

tsay-neng

Japanese

kazoku

ka-zo-kuh

Khmer

kruosaear

crue-sayr

Korean

gajog

gah-joh

Mongolian

ger bül

gaire buul

Punjabi

parivāra

par-ee-vahr-ah

Thai

khrxbkhrạw

crawb-co-ah

Vietnamese

gia đình

za-deen

How to Say Family in European Languages

Many European languages have a similar foundation with Latin, Greek, and Roman languages and thus, the translation of "family" will be similar with many of these.

Senior man raising toast to family at meal table

Language

Translation

Pronunciation

Croatian

obitelj

oh-bee-teylj

Czech

rodina

ro-deena

Danish

familie

fahm-ee-leah

Dutch

familie

fahm-ee-lee

Esperanto

familio

fahm-ee-lee-o

Estonian

perekong

pear-eh-cond

Finnish

perhe

pehr-heh

French

famille

fam-eel

German

familie

fa-meel-ye

Greek

oikogéneia

ay-ko-ye-nee-ya

Hungarian

család

shah-lahd

Icelandic

fjölskylda

fee-old-skill-dah

Irish

teaghlaigh

chye-lukh

Italian

famiglia

fa-meeg-lee-ya

Latin

familia

fah-meal-yeh

Latvian

ģimene

ghi-mehn-eh

Norwegian

familie

fah-meal-yeh

Polish

rodzina

rowde-jheena

Portuguese

família

fa-meel-e-ya

Spanish

familia

fa-meel-e-ya

Russian

sem'ya

syem-ya

How to Say Family in Middle-Eastern Languages

Some Middle Eastern languages use a different alphabet, and you may not be able to pronounce "family" immediately without the phonetic pronunciation guide.

Brothers taking a selfie together

Language

Translation

Pronunciation

Arabic

'usra

us-rah

Hebrew

מִשׁפָּחָה

mish-pach-ah

Persian

خانواده

sah-lahm

Yiddish

משפּחה

mish-pokh-eh

How to Say Family in Austronesian and Pacific Islander Languages

These languages encompass many island nations in the Pacific, as well as the country of Australia and the U.S. state of Hawaii.

Language

Translation

Pronunciation

Hawaiian

ohana

o-hahn-ah

Indonesian

keluarga

kel-uare-gah

Javanese

kulawarga

kel-u-war-gah

Malay

keluarga

kel-uare-gah

Maori

whānau

whah-now

Samoan

āiga

eyeng-ah

Tagalog (Filipino)

pamilya

pah-meal-yeh

How to Say Family in North American Indigenous Languages

There are more 150 indigenous languages spoken in the United States, all with words that represent the concept of family. These are just a few. 

Language Translation Pronunciation
Algonquin dòdemag doh-DAY-mug
Cherokee sidanelv see-dah-nay-lah
Lakota thiwáhe tee-wah-heh
Mayan ch'i'ibalil chee-ee-bah-leel
Navajo k’é keh

Related: Definitions of Family: Beyond the Dictionary

How to Say Family in American Sign Language

In order to say "family" using American Sign Language, you need to make a series of hand motions.

Infographic that shows how to say family in American Sign Language
  1. First make the sign for the letter F by holding your thumb to your index finger with the rest of your fingers up, like the "ok" sign. Do this with both your left and right hand at the same time.

  2. Move both hands simultaneously around in a circle, going counter-clockwise with your right hand and clockwise with the left.

  3. Your hands should meet when your pinky fingers touch.

  4. This circling motion represents circling around several people, in other words, a family.

Learning How to Say Family in Different Languages

Once you've learned how to say the word "family" in different languages, you may be inspired to learn more words in other tongues. Consider taking a language class in the ones that really spark your interest, and soon you'll be learning a whole new cultural vocabulary.

55 Ways to Say Family in Different Languages