Parents
padres (pair) or madre y padre
Spanish 101 · Grammar
Family vocabulary
Gender and number ride along on every noun phrase — pair vocab with mi/su/nuestro and ser.
The rule
Core nouns: madre/padre, hermano/hermana, hijo/hija, abuelo/abuela, tío/tía, primo/prima.
Many kinship terms have common article patterns with ser: Es mi madre vs. Es la madre de…
Plural marking can be single-word plural: los padres often = parents.
Suegro/suegra, cuñado/cuñaño extend the tree — learn the set your syllabus prints.
Mis abuelos viven en otro estado.My grandparents live in another state.
¿Tienes hermanos menores?Do you have younger siblings?
Examples in context
Estudio español todos los días.I study Spanish every day.present habit
¿Puedes ayudarme con la tarea?Can you help me with the homework?request
Voy a la biblioteca después de clase.I go to the library after class.movement
No entiendo esta palabra.I do not understand this word.negation
Me gusta la música latina.I like Latin music.gustar
Tenemos clase mañana a las nueve.We have class tomorrow at nine.tener + noun
¿Dónde está el aula?Where is the classroom?estar — location
Es un examen difícil.It is a difficult exam.ser — description
Quick reference
Step-
padrastro, madrastra, hijastro/hijastra — textbook-specific
Possession
de + person clarifies su familia
Common mistakes
Wrong agreement
❌ Wrong: La problema es fácil.
✅ Correct: El problema es fácil.
Problema is masculine despite ending in -a.
Double subjects
❌ Wrong: Yo soy yo estudiante.
✅ Correct: Soy estudiante.
Drop redundant subject pronouns when the verb ending is clear.
Negation placement
❌ Wrong: Entiendo no.
✅ Correct: No entiendo.
Place no immediately before the conjugated verb.
Literal word order
❌ Wrong: ¿Qué hora es qué?
✅ Correct: ¿Qué hora es?
Keep standard question frames; do not copy English order.
Practice questions
Test what you just learned. Select an answer to see instant feedback.
“The green shirt” is:
“My grandparents” is often:
“I am hungry” most often:
“It’s sunny” is often:
“See you tomorrow”:
You got 0/5 correct.
Want more practice on Family vocabulary?
Chapurra has 50 questions like these, organized by chapter. Capítulo Preliminar is free.
Start practicing free →FAQ
Should I learn noun gender with the article?
Yes. Memorizing el problema or la clase as a chunk is faster than guessing from the ending alone. Some endings are reliable clues (-ción is usually feminine; -ma from Greek roots is often masculine), but exceptions are common in a first-year course.
Why do Spanish speakers drop subject pronouns?
Verb endings already encode person and number: hablo almost always means “I speak.” Speakers add yo, tú, or él only when emphasis or contrast matters, or when the subject could be ambiguous.
What is the difference between bien and bueno?
Bueno is an adjective meaning “good” and agrees with the noun. Bien is usually an adverb meaning “well,” used with verbs: Estudias bien. Estoy bien means “I am fine.” Do not use *estoy bueno* for “I am a good person”; that would be soy bueno or soy buena.
How do plural subjects work with mixed genders?
Traditional Spanish uses the masculine plural as the default mixed group: los estudiantes can include men and women. Some communities use inclusive forms; follow what your instructor models for exams.
Are vosotros forms important for me?
In many Latin-American classrooms you will recognize vosotros on charts but rarely produce it. In Spain-focused programs you will practice vosotros commands and present forms more actively. Match your course target.