Family is a pretty big deal in just about every culture, and Poland is no exception. As a student of the language, you probably wouldn’t want to neglect your familial duty to learn the vocabulary you’ll need to talk about family in Polish — not unless you want to upset your babcia.
As you memorize the various terms for family in Polish, take them to heart — not just because they may feel personally meaningful to you, but also because they may challenge your notions of how certain vocabulary terms are supposed to work. For instance, there’s only one way to say “cousin” in English, but in Polish, there’s a masculine and feminine version of this word. Another interesting divergence is that there are different words for “nephew” and “niece” that indicate whether they’re on your brother’s side or your sister’s side.
Memorizing all this information can take time and repetition. But fortunately, you’ve got a pretty convenient place to get started thanks to this vocabulary guide we’ve compiled for you, complete with audio pronunciations voiced by native speakers.
Essential Vocab For Family In Polish
family — rodzina
relatives — krewni
extended family — daleka rodzina
descendant — potomek
ancestor — przodek
parents — rodzice
mother — matka
father — ojciec
children — dzieci
daughter — córka
son — syn
brother — brat
sister — siostra
siblings — rodzeństwo
stepson — pasierb
half-brother — brat przyrodni
foster parents — rodzice zastępczy
guardian — kurator (masc.)
grandmother — babcia
grandfather — dziadek
grandson — wnuk
granddaughter — wnuczka
great-grandparents — pradziadkowie
nephew (brother’s son, sister’s son) — bratanek, siostrzeniec
niece (brother’s daughter, sister’s daughter) — bratanica, siostrzenica
aunt — ciotka
uncle — wujek
cousin — kuzyn (masc.) / kuzynka (fem.)
second cousin — kuzyn drugiego stopnia
parents-in-law — teściowie