German word

Eltern

Pronunciation

IPA/ˈɛltɐn/

Meaning

  • nounparents

Example

Ich besuche morgen meine Eltern.

I am visiting my parents tomorrow.

Illustration for Eltern (parents)

More examples

Am Abend koche ich mit meinen Eltern.

In the evening, I cook with my parents.

Core concept

The adult parental pair responsible for a child's upbringing, whether the relationship is biological or legally established.

Common phrases

  • meine Eltern

    my parents

  • bei meinen Eltern

    at my parents' house

  • zu meinen Eltern

    to my parents' place

Similar words

Mutter: A child's female parent.
Vater: A child's male parent.
Elternteil: One parent of a child.
Mama: An informal spoken term for a child's mother.

Definition in German

Eltern bezeichnet die erwachsenen Personen, die biologisch oder rechtlich als Vater und Mutter eines Kindes gelten und für dessen Erziehung verantwortlich sind.

Word origin

German Eltern preserves an old plural formation from eltiron, which originally referred to older people and is connected with alt, "old."

Usage tips

  • The singular form Elternteil means "parent" and is used when referring to one member of the pair; Eltern itself remains plural.

Opposites

  • Kinderchildrennoun

Related words

  • Elternzeitparental leavenoun
  • Elternteilparentnoun
  • elterlichparentaladjective

Word lists with this word