French word

famille

Pronunciation

IPA/famij/

Meaning

  • feminine nounfamily

Example

J'aime ma famille.

I love my family.

Illustration for famille (family)

More examples

Nous aimons passer les fêtes en famille.

We like spending the holidays with our family.

Core concept

A home-centered network that includes close relatives and wider kin across different households.

Common phrases

  • en famille

    with one's family

  • une famille monoparentale

    single-parent family

Similar words

parent: A person's father or mother.
foyer: The home or domestic setting where a family lives.
ménage: People living together and sharing household tasks and living costs.

Definition in French

Désigne les personnes liées par le sang, le mariage ou l'adoption, constituant un réseau de parenté et souvent un foyer.

Word origin

Latin familia referred to the members of a household, and its Old French descendant famille acquired the broader modern kinship sense.

Usage tips

  • In en famille, en describes being together as a family or in a family setting rather than a specific physical location.

Other meanings

  • relativesnoun
  • householdnoun

Related words

Word lists with this word