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.
| 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.
| 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.
| 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 |
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.
- 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.
- Move both hands simultaneously around in a circle, going counter-clockwise with your right hand and clockwise with the left.
- Your hands should meet when your pinky fingers touch.
- 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.
