Hebrew Family Vocabulary: 30+ Words to Talk About Your Loved Ones

Picture this: you're at a family gathering in Tel Aviv, someone asks you "מי זה?" ("Who is this?"), and you confidently reply "זה אחי" ("This is my brother"). That moment of connection — speaking about your family in someone else's language — is one of the most rewarding experiences in language learning.

Family vocabulary is essential in Hebrew because Israelis are famously family-oriented. From the moment you meet someone, they'll want to know where you're from, whether you're married, and how many kids you have. Being able to answer these questions and ask them back opens doors to genuine conversations.

In this guide, you'll learn 30+ Hebrew family words with transliteration, see how to use them in real sentences, get cultural context about family life in Israel, and even practice with mini dialogues. Let's dive in!

Key takeaway: Hebrew family vocabulary is largely Semitic in origin and often similar to Arabic equivalents — so if you know Arabic, you'll have a head start!

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Core Family Members: The Basics

Let's start with the people you talk about most — the immediate family. These are the words you'll use in practically every introduction.

English	Hebrew	Transliteration	Notes
Mother / Mom	אמא	ima	Informal, used in everyday speech
Father / Dad	אבא	aba	Informal, universally used
Brother	אח	ach	Short and punchy
Sister	אחות	achot	Also means "nurse" in medical contexts!
Son	בן	ben	Also means "boy"
Daughter	בת	bat	Also means "girl"
Husband	בעל	ba'al	Literally "owner" — a historical relic
Wife	אישה	isha	Also simply means "woman"
Parents	הורים	horim	Plural of hor (parent)
Children	ילדים	yeladim	Plural of yeled (child/boy)
Baby	תינוק	tinok	Masculine; tinokot for a baby girl
Spouse (neutral)	בן/בת זוג	ben/bat zug	Lit. "partner of the pair" — modern and inclusive

💡 Tip: Israelis almost never say "mother" (אֵם, em) or "father" (אָב, av) in conversation — those are formal/biblical forms. Always use אמא and אבא in everyday speech!

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Grandparents and Older Relatives

The words for grandparents are pure sweetness — and once you've heard an Israeli child call out "Savta!" you'll never forget it.

English	Hebrew	Transliteration	Notes
Grandmother	סבתא	savta	One of the most-used words in any family
Grandfather	סבא	saba	Warm and familiar
Great-grandmother	סבתא רבה	savta raba	Literally "great grandmother"
Great-grandfather	סבא רבה	saba raba	Same construction
Uncle	דוד	dod	Also means "David" as a name!
Aunt	דודה	doda	Feminine form of דוד
Cousin (m)	בן דוד	ben dod	Literally "son of uncle"
Cousin (f)	בת דודה	bat doda	Literally "daughter of aunt"
Nephew	אחיין	achyan	Less commonly used word
Niece	אחיינית	achyanit	Feminine form

💡 Tip: The word דוד (dod) can be confusing because it's also a very common male name (David). Context usually makes it clear — but don't be surprised if someone introduces their "uncle David" as "הדוד דוד שלי" (My uncle David). Yes, that's a real sentence Israelis say!

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In-Laws and Extended Family

Once you get married (or start talking about marriage, which Israelis will nudge you toward), you'll need these words:

English	Hebrew	Transliteration	Notes
Father-in-law	חם	cham	Short and ancient Semitic root
Mother-in-law	חמות	chamot	Universally recognized as a tricky relationship 😄
Brother-in-law	גיס	gis	Unique word, no other meaning
Sister-in-law	גיסה	gisa	Feminine form
Son-in-law	חתן	chatan	Also means "groom"
Daughter-in-law	כלה	kala	Also means "bride" — love the poetry!
Stepfather	אב חורג	av chorag	Literally "lateral father"
Stepmother	אם חורגת	em choreget	Same pattern
Half-brother	אח חורג	ach chorag	Same "lateral" construction
Twin	תאום / תאומה	te'om / te'uma	Masculine / Feminine
Orphan	יתום	yatom	Biblical word still in use
Widower / Widow	אלמן / אלמנה	alman / almana	Both roots are biblical

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Phrases for Introducing Your Family

Now let's put those words to work! Here are the most common phrases you'll use when talking about family.

Talking about your family:

• "יש לי אח ושתי אחיות" — I have a brother and two sisters
• "אני נשוי/נשואה" — I am married (m/f)
• "אנחנו זוג" — We are a couple
• "יש לנו שלושה ילדים" — We have three children
• "אני גרוש/גרושה" — I am divorced (m/f)
• "אני רווק/רווקה" — I am single (m/f)

Asking about someone's family:

• "יש לך ילדים?" — Do you have children?
• "כמה אחים ואחיות יש לך?" — How many brothers and sisters do you have?
• "ההורים שלך גרים פה?" — Do your parents live here?
• "אתה נשוי?" / "את נשואה?" — Are you married? (asking a man / a woman)

💡 Tip: The possessive in Hebrew is formed with של + pronoun. "My mother" = אמא שלי (ima sheli), "your brother" = האח שלך (ha'ach shelcha/shelach). You'll use this pattern constantly!

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Mini Dialogues: Family in Action

Dialogue 1 — Meeting someone new

דנה: שלום! אני דנה. אתה גר פה?
"Shalom! Ani Dana. Ata gar po?"
Dana: Hi! I'm Dana. Do you live here?

תום: כן, עם המשפחה שלי. יש לי אישה ושני ילדים.
"Ken, im hamishpacha sheli. Yesh li isha u'shnei yeladim."
Tom: Yes, with my family. I have a wife and two kids.

דנה: כמה חמוד! כמה שנים יש להם?
"Kama chamud! Kama shanim yesh lahem?"
Dana: How cute! How old are they?

Dialogue 2 — Talking about relatives

מיכאל: הסבא והסבתא שלך גרים בארץ?
"Ha'saba ve'hasavta shelcha garim ba'aretz?"
Michael: Do your grandparents live in Israel?

נועה: הסבא שלי גר בחיפה, אבל הסבתא שלי גרה בניו יורק.
"Ha'saba sheli gar be'Haifa, aval ha'savta sheli gara be'New York."
Noa: My grandfather lives in Haifa, but my grandmother lives in New York.

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Cultural Note: Family in Israeli Culture

Israeli culture is intensely family-centered, and this shows up in the language. Here are a few things to know:

Shabbat dinner (ארוחת שבת, aruchat Shabbat) is the holy grail of family gatherings. On Friday evenings, extended families come together — grandparents, aunts, uncles, cousins — for a big meal. If an Israeli invites you to their Shabbat dinner, consider it a major sign of warmth and acceptance.

Israelis ask personal questions quickly. Within minutes of meeting someone, they may ask about your marital status, whether you have children, and what your parents do. This isn't rudeness — it's warmth. They're placing you in a social context they understand.

Terms of endearment are lavished on family members. Common ones include:

• מותק (motek) — sweetie, darling
• נשמה (neshama) — soul (used like "sweetheart")
• חמוד/חמודה (chamud/chamuda) — cutie
• יקיר/יקירה (yakir/yakira) — dear one

💡 Tip: Don't be surprised if a total stranger calls you "motek" — Israeli warmth is real and frequent!

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Quick Reference: All 30+ Words at a Glance

English	Hebrew	Transliteration
Mother	אמא	ima
Father	אבא	aba
Brother	אח	ach
Sister	אחות	achot
Son	בן	ben
Daughter	בת	bat
Husband	בעל	ba'al
Wife	אישה	isha
Parents	הורים	horim
Children	ילדים	yeladim
Baby	תינוק	tinok
Grandmother	סבתא	savta
Grandfather	סבא	saba
Uncle	דוד	dod
Aunt	דודה	doda
Cousin (m)	בן דוד	ben dod
Cousin (f)	בת דודה	bat doda
Nephew	אחיין	achyan
Niece	אחיינית	achyanit
Father-in-law	חם	cham
Mother-in-law	חמות	chamot
Brother-in-law	גיס	gis
Sister-in-law	גיסה	gisa
Son-in-law	חתן	chatan
Daughter-in-law	כלה	kala
Family	משפחה	mishpacha
Married (m/f)	נשוי / נשואה	nasui / nesu'a
Single (m/f)	רווק / רווקה	ravak / ravaka
Divorced (m/f)	גרוש / גרושה	garush / garusha
Twin	תאום / תאומה	te'om / te'uma

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What's Next

You've just learned the language of love — now take it further:

• Hebrew Professions & Jobs — learn how to talk about what people do for work
• 100 Everyday Conversational Phrases — put your vocabulary into action in real dialogues
• HebrewGlot Trainer — practice all these family words with interactive flashcards and quizzes

המשפחה היא הכל — Family is everything. And now you can say so in Hebrew! 🎉

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