German Family Relationship Terms

Father's father

Opa

Formal: Großvater. No everyday split by paternal vs maternal.

Father's mother

Oma

Formal: Großmutter

Mother's father

Opa

Mother's mother

Oma

Father

Vater / Papa

Mother

Mutter / Mama

Father's older brother

Onkel

No split by side of the family or age.

Father's younger brother

Onkel

Father's sister

Tante

Mother's older brother

Onkel

Mother's younger brother

Onkel

Mother's sister

Tante

Father's older brother's wife

Tante

Father's younger brother's wife

Tante

Mother's brother's wife

Tante

Father's sister's husband

Onkel

Mother's sister's husband

Onkel

Older brother

Bruder

Younger brother

Bruder

Older sister

Schwester

Younger sister

Schwester

Father's brother's son

Cousin

German borrowed 'Cousin'/'Cousine' from French rather than coining its own word.

Father's brother's daughter

Cousine

Father's sister's son

Cousin

Father's sister's daughter

Cousine

Mother's brother's son

Cousin

Mother's brother's daughter

Cousine

Mother's sister's son

Cousin

Mother's sister's daughter

Cousine

Son

Sohn

Daughter

Tochter

Grandson

Enkel

Granddaughter

Enkelin

Son-in-law

Schwiegersohn

Daughter-in-law

Schwiegertochter

Brother's son

Neffe

Sister's son

Neffe

Brother's daughter

Nichte

Sister's daughter

Nichte

Husband

Ehemann

Wife

Ehefrau

Spouse's father

Schwiegervater

Spouse's mother

Schwiegermutter

Husband's older brother

Schwager

German's clean in-law system: every parent-generation in-law is 'Schwieger-' + the word, every sibling-generation in-law is 'Schwager'/'Schwägerin.'

Husband's younger brother

Schwager

Husband's sister

Schwägerin

Wife's brother

Schwager

Wife's sister

Schwägerin

Brother's wife

Schwägerin

Sister's husband

Schwager