Memory Play Notes

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