Family (Edexcel GCSE French): Revision Notes
Family (La famille)
Understanding family vocabulary is essential for describing your personal life and relationships in French. This topic covers the key terms, grammar rules, and phrases you need to discuss family members confidently.
Core family vocabulary
Learning family terms is fundamental for GCSE French. Pay close attention to the gender of each noun, as this affects the articles and adjectives you use.
| French | English | Gender |
|---|---|---|
| la famille | family | feminine |
| le père | father | masculine |
| la mère | mother | feminine |
| le frère | brother | masculine |
| la sœur | sister | feminine |
| le fils | son | masculine |
| la fille | daughter | feminine |
| le mari | husband | masculine |
| la femme | wife | feminine |
| l'enfant unique | only child | masculine/feminine |
Notice that la famille is feminine, which means you'll use ma famille (my family) and feminine adjective endings like ma grande famille.
Example sentences:
- J'ai deux frères et une sœur. (I have two brothers and one sister.)
- Ma famille est assez grande. (My family is quite big.)
- Mon père travaille beaucoup. (My father works a lot.)
Extended family and relationships
These terms help you describe wider family connections and different types of relationships. Understanding these extended family terms allows you to provide more detailed and sophisticated descriptions in your French conversations and writing.
| French | English | Gender |
|---|---|---|
| le grand-père | grandfather | masculine |
| la grand-mère | grandmother | feminine |
| l'oncle | uncle | masculine |
| la tante | aunt | feminine |
| le beau-père | stepfather | masculine |
| la belle-mère | stepmother | feminine |
| le demi-frère | half brother | masculine |
| la demi-sœur | half sister | feminine |
| le partenaire | partner | masculine |
| les parents | parents | masculine plural |
Example sentences:
- Je respecte mes parents car ils sont sympa. (I respect my parents because they are kind.)
- J'aime jouer au football avec mon oncle. (I like playing football with my uncle.)
- Hier je suis allé(e) en ville avec ma tante. (Yesterday I went to town with my aunt.)
The term les parents is always masculine plural, even when referring to a mother and father together. This is because in French, mixed groups take the masculine form.
Essential grammar rules
Understanding possessive adjectives is crucial for talking about family members correctly. These adjectives must agree with the gender and number of the noun they modify, not the gender of the person who possesses.
Possessive adjectives change depending on the gender and number of the noun they describe:
- Mon (my - masculine singular): mon père, mon frère
- Ma (my - feminine singular): ma mère, ma sœur
- Mes (my - plural): mes parents, mes frères
Critical rule: The possessive adjective agrees with the thing being possessed, not the person who possesses it!
Key grammar points:
- The word famille is feminine, so use ma famille and remember adjectives need the feminine ending: ma grande famille
- Don't forget plural endings: mes frères (the -s makes it plural)
- Aîné(e) means older, and the (e) shows it can be masculine or feminine depending on who you're describing
Question words for family topics
These question words help you ask and answer questions about family during speaking and listening exams. Mastering these will improve your comprehension and allow you to engage in more natural conversations about family life.
| French | English | Usage |
|---|---|---|
| Qui? | Who? | Qui prépare les repas? |
| Que/Qu'est-ce que? | What? | Qu'est-ce que vous faites ensemble? |
| Comment? | How? | Comment s'appelle tonne père? |
| Où? | Where? | Où habitez-vous? |
| Quand? | When? | Quand est-ce que vous sortez? |
| Combien? | How many? | Combien de frères as-tu? |
| Avec qui? | With whom? | Avec qui sors-tu? |
| Pourquoi? | Why? | Pourquoi respectes-tu tes parents? |
Useful phrases for family descriptions:
- Comment s'appelle tonne père? (What's your father's name?)
- Quand est-ce que vous sortez? (When do you go out?)
- Qu'est-ce que c'est qu'un bon frère? (What is a good brother like?)
In listening exams, question words are often the key to understanding what information you need to identify. Listen carefully for these at the beginning of questions!
Practice translation exercise
Translation Practice: Family Descriptions
Translate into French:
- My family is quite big.
- I have two brothers and one sister.
Translate into English:
- Comment est ta famille?
- Qu'est-ce que vous faites ensemble?
Answers:
- Ma famille est assez grande.
- J'ai deux frères et une sœur.
- How is your family? / What is your family like?
- What do you do together?
Exam tips
The following strategies will help you excel in family-related topics across all exam components:
Exam Success Strategies:
- Speaking exam: Practise describing your family using varied vocabulary and different tenses
- Listening exam: Focus on question words to understand what information is being asked for
- Writing exam: Remember gender agreement rules, especially with possessive adjectives
- Use s'occuper de (to look after) to show more sophisticated vocabulary: "Je m'occupe de mon petit frère" (I look after my little brother)
Key Points to Remember:
- Possessive adjectives must match the gender of the noun they describe (mon père, ma mère, mes parents)
- Famille is feminine, so use feminine adjective endings (ma grande famille)
- Question words are essential for understanding family-related questions in exams
- Plural forms need the -s ending (frères, sœurs, parents)
- Practice using varied vocabulary to show your knowledge beyond basic terms