German Family Tree Terms: Parents, Grandparents, Cousins and In-Laws

German Family Tree Terms: Parents, Grandparents, Cousins and In-Laws

German family relationship terms are precise and useful for genealogy, bilingual family trees, and conversations with German-speaking relatives. Unlike English, German almost always marks gender and often distinguishes between maternal and paternal sides. This guide explains the most important terms clearly.

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Immediate Family

English	German (Male)	German (Female)	Notes
Father	Vater	—
Mother	—	Mutter
Parents	Eltern	Eltern
Son	Sohn	—
Daughter	—	Tochter
Children	Kinder	Kinder
Brother	Bruder	—
Sister	—	Schwester
Siblings	Geschwister	Geschwister	Neutral plural
Husband	Ehemann / Mann	—
Wife	—	Ehefrau / Frau
Spouse	Ehepartner	Ehepartnerin	Formal/neutral

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Grandparents and Great-Grandparents

English	German (Male)	German (Female)
Grandfather	Großvater / Opa	—
Grandmother	—	Großmutter / Oma
Grandparents	Großeltern	Großeltern
Great-grandfather	Urgroßvater	—
Great-grandmother	—	Urgroßmutter
Great-grandparents	Urgroßeltern	Urgroßeltern
Great-great-grandfather	Ururgroßvater	—
Great-great-grandmother	—	Ururgroßmutter

In everyday speech, Opa and Oma are very common and affectionate forms.

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Grandchildren

English	German (Male)	German (Female)
Grandson	Enkel / Enkelsohn	—
Granddaughter	—	Enkelin
Grandchildren	Enkelkinder	Enkelkinder
Great-grandson	Urenkel	—
Great-granddaughter	—	Urenkelin

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Uncles, Aunts, Nephews and Nieces

English	German (Male)	German (Female)	Notes
Uncle	Onkel	—
Aunt	—	Tante
Maternal uncle	Onkel mütterlicherseits	—	Brother of the mother
Paternal uncle	Onkel väterlicherseits	—	Brother of the father
Nephew	Neffe	—
Niece	—	Nichte
Great-uncle	Großonkel	—
Great-aunt	—	Großtante

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Cousins

German distinguishes gender clearly and has specific terms for degree of cousinship:

English	German (Male)	German (Female)
Cousin	Cousin / Vetter	Cousine / Base
First cousin	Cousin ersten Grades	Cousine ersten Grades
Second cousin	Cousin zweiten Grades	Cousine zweiten Grades
Distant cousin	entfernter Cousin	entfernte Cousine

In modern German, Cousin and Cousine are very common. Traditional regional words such as Vetter (male) and Base (female) are still understood, especially among older speakers.

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In-Laws

English	German (Male)	German (Female)
Father-in-law	Schwiegervater	—
Mother-in-law	—	Schwiegermutter
Son-in-law	Schwiegersohn	—
Daughter-in-law	—	Schwiegertochter
Brother-in-law	Schwager	—
Sister-in-law	—	Schwägerin
Parents-in-law	Schwiegereltern	Schwiegereltern

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Step-Family and Half-Relations

English	German (Male)	German (Female)
Stepfather	Stiefvater	—
Stepmother	—	Stiefmutter
Stepson	Stiefsohn	—
Stepdaughter	—	Stieftochter
Stepbrother	Stiefbruder	—
Stepsister	—	Stiefschwester
Half-brother	Halbbruder	—
Half-sister	—	Halbschwester

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Simple German Family Tree Example

Großvater ────── Großmutter
        │
Vater ────── Mutter
    │
┌───┴───┐
Sohn   Tochter

You can expand the tree with Onkel, Tante, Cousin, Cousine, Neffe, Nichte, and the corresponding Schwieger- and Stief- forms.

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Useful Tips for German Family Terms

• German almost always marks gender. Always choose the correct masculine or feminine form.
• To specify the side of the family, use mütterlicherseits (maternal) or väterlicherseits (paternal).
• In genealogy, more precise expressions such as Cousin ersten Grades are preferred.
• Affectionate everyday forms (Opa, Oma, Mama, Papa) are very common in spoken German but less suitable for formal family trees.

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Building a German or Bilingual Family Tree

Many families today have German-speaking and English-speaking members. Recording the correct relationship terms helps everyone understand the connections clearly.

You can create a private family tree and label relationships in German or English at the My rOoOts create-tree page.

Helpful tools include:

• Family Tree Generator
• Ancestor Timeline Generator
• Relationship Calculator

These make it easy to organise names, dates, and precise family links across generations.

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Conclusion

German family tree terms are logical and gender-specific. From basic words such as Vater, Mutter, Sohn and Tochter to more precise terms like Schwiegervater, Cousin ersten Grades and Urgroßmutter, the language offers clear ways to describe every common relationship. Using the correct vocabulary improves communication and supports accurate genealogy work.

Whether you are researching German ancestry, speaking with relatives, or building a bilingual family tree, this guide provides a practical reference for parents, grandparents, cousins, in-laws, and more.

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Frequently Asked Questions About German Family Tree Terms

What is the German word for cousin?
A male cousin is Cousin (or traditionally Vetter) and a female cousin is Cousine (or traditionally Base). A first cousin is called Cousin ersten Grades or Cousine ersten Grades.

How do you say mother-in-law and father-in-law in German?
Mother-in-law is Schwiegermutter and father-in-law is Schwiegervater. Parents-in-law together are Schwiegereltern.

What is the difference between “Bruder” and “Halbbruder”?
Bruder means a full brother. Halbbruder means half-brother (a brother with whom you share only one parent). Stiefbruder means stepbrother.

How do you say grandparents in German?
Grandparents are Großeltern. Grandfather is Großvater (informally Opa) and grandmother is Großmutter (informally Oma).

What is the German term for great-grandfather?
Great-grandfather is Urgroßvater and great-grandmother is Urgroßmutter. Great-grandparents are Urgroßeltern.

How do you say nephew and niece in German?
Nephew is Neffe and niece is Nichte.

What is the German word for siblings?
Siblings are called Geschwister (a gender-neutral plural term).

How do you distinguish maternal and paternal relatives in German?
Add mütterlicherseits for the mother’s side and väterlicherseits for the father’s side.
Examples: Onkel mütterlicherseits (maternal uncle), Tante väterlicherseits (paternal aunt).

What does “Schwager” mean in German?
Schwager means brother-in-law. The female form Schwägerin means sister-in-law.

How do you say son-in-law and daughter-in-law in German?
Son-in-law is Schwiegersohn and daughter-in-law is Schwiegertochter.

What is the German word for grandchildren?
Grandchildren are Enkelkinder. Grandson is Enkel or Enkelsohn and granddaughter is Enkelin.

Is there a difference between “Frau” and “Ehefrau”?
Both can mean wife. Ehefrau is more precise and formal, while Frau is commonly used in everyday speech. Similarly, Mann and Ehemann both refer to husband.

How do you say step-parents in German?
Stepfather is Stiefvater and stepmother is Stiefmutter. Step-parents can be referred to as Stiefeltern.

What is the German term for ancestors?
Ancestors are Vorfahren or Ahnen. In genealogy, Ahnentafel refers to an ancestor chart.

How can I use these German family terms in a family tree?
You can label each person with the correct German relationship term (for example, Großvater väterlicherseits or Cousine ersten Grades) when building a German or bilingual family tree. Tools such as My rOoOts allow you to record names and relationships clearly in any language.

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