CEFR A1

    Immediate Family

    Learn essential vocabulary for your immediate family including mother, father, brother, sister, and other close relatives.

    Learning Objectives

    Learn common immediate family members like mother, father, brother, and sister.
    Understand how to use possessive adjectives like my, your, his, and her with family members.
    Practice asking and answering questions about family relationships.
    Build confidence talking about your family in everyday conversations!

    Immediate Family

    In this lesson, you will learn common immediate family members in English. These are the people closest to you in your family - your parents, siblings, and children. You'll learn how to introduce family members and talk about your family relationships using words like mother, father, brother, and sister.

    A Family Day Out

    On Saturday, Tom goes to the park with his family.

    His mother brings sandwiches and his father carries the big bag.

    Tom plays football with his brother while his sister reads a book.

    After lunch, the children play together and the parents sit and talk.

    Notice how we use family words like mother, father, brother, sister, children, and parents to describe the people in Tom's family.

    Parents

    Mother / Mum / Mom

    "Mum" is common in British English, "Mom" in American English.

    • My mother is a teacher.
    • This is my mum.
    • Her mom works in an office.

    Father / Dad

    "Dad" is the informal version used in everyday conversation.

    • My father works in a hospital.
    • This is my dad.
    • His dad is very tall.

    Parents

    Mother and father together (always plural).

    • My parents live in London.
    • Her parents are doctors.
    • Their parents are very kind.

    Want to try a Immediate Family quiz?

    Practice with multiple choice questions

    Siblings (Brothers and Sisters)

    Brother

    Your male sibling (same parents).

    • I have one brother.
    • My brother is 15 years old.
    • Her brother plays football.

    Sister

    Your female sibling (same parents).

    • I have two sisters.
    • My sister is a student.
    • His sister lives in Paris.

    Siblings

    Brothers and sisters together (general term for all your brothers and sisters).

    • Do you have any siblings?
    • I have three siblings.
    • She has no siblings.

    Children

    Son

    A male child.

    • Her son is five years old.
    • They have one son.
    • My son goes to school.

    Daughter

    A female child.

    • Their daughter is very smart.
    • I have two daughters.
    • His daughter plays piano.

    Children

    Sons and daughters together (plural of 'child').

    • They have three children.
    • My children are at school.
    • How many children do you have?

    Ready to test your Immediate Family knowledge?

    Challenge yourself with fill-in-the-blank exercises

    Useful Phrases for Talking About Family

    Introducing Family Members

    • This is my mother.
    • I'd like you to meet my father.
    • This is my brother, John.
    • Let me introduce you to my sister.

    Asking About Family

    • Do you have any brothers or sisters?
    • How many siblings do you have?
    • What does your father do? (asking about job)
    • Where do your parents live?

    Describing Your Family

    • I have one brother and two sisters.
    • My parents live in London.
    • My sister is a student.
    • We are a family of four.

    Master Immediate Family sentence building!

    Drag and drop words to form correct sentences

    Useful Grammar Points

    Possessive Adjectives

    Always use possessive adjectives before family members.

    • my mother, my father, my brother, my sister
    • your parents, your siblings
    • his son, his daughter
    • her children, her family

    Singular vs. Plural

    Important differences when talking about one vs. multiple family members.

    • one child → two children (irregular plural)
    • one parent → two parents (regular plural)
    • one brother → two brothers (regular plural)
    • one sister → two sisters (regular plural)

    Common Mistakes to Avoid

    ❌ Wrong: They have two childs.

    ✓ Correct: They have two children. (irregular plural)

    ❌ Wrong: I have three brother.

    ✓ Correct: I have three brothers. (use plural for more than one)

    ❌ Wrong: This is mine mother.

    ✓ Correct: This is my mother. (use possessive adjective 'my')

    ❌ Wrong: My parents is teachers.

    ✓ Correct: My parents are teachers. (parents = plural, use 'are')

    ❌ Wrong: She have one sister.

    ✓ Correct: She has one sister. (third person singular 'has')

    Learning Tips

    Remember the irregular plural: one child → two children (NOT "childs")
    Use "my", "your", "his", "her" before family members: my mother, his sister
    Practice describing your own family out loud to build confidence
    Learn both formal (mother/father) and informal (mum/dad) terms
    Remember that "parents", "brothers", "sisters" are always plural when referring to multiple
    Use "siblings" when talking about brothers and sisters together
    Practice asking common questions like "Do you have any brothers or sisters?"

    Speaking Practice

    To practice your pronunciation, listen to the native speaker audio first. Then 'Record' yourself repeating what you heard, then use the 'Playback' button to compare your pronunciation with the native speaker. If you want to record yourself again, simply click 'Delete'!

    ✓ This is my mother. Her name is Sarah.

    ✓ I have one brother and two sisters.

    ✓ My father works in a hospital.

    ✓ Her son is five years old.

    ✓ My parents live in London.

    ✓ Do you have any brothers or sisters?

    Remember!

    Family is an important topic in English conversations! Practice introducing your family members using possessive adjectives (my, your, his, her). Remember the irregular plural: one child, two children. Don't forget to ask others about their families too - it's a great way to build connections! 👨‍👩‍👧‍👦

    Your exercises are loading!

    Your exercises are loading!

    Your exercises are loading!


    Continue Your Learning Journey

    Keep building your English skills with these carefully selected next steps


    Help Other People Just Like You Improve Their English!

    Share Free Daily English With Them Today!