Learning a new language opens the door to understanding new cultures and traditions, and one of the most personal aspects of culture is family. In Swedish, just like in any other language, there are specific words used to describe different family members. Understanding these words is essential for anyone looking to become fluent in Swedish or looking to understand Swedish family structures. Here are some of the key Swedish words for different family members, accompanied by example sentences to help grasp their usage.

Familj
The word for family in Swedish is familj. This is a collective term that encompasses the entire family unit.
Det är viktigt att spendera tid med sin familj.

Föräldrar
This word means parents. It’s a plural term used to refer to both the mother and father collectively.
Mina föräldrar kommer på besök i helgen.

Mamma
This is the word for mother in Swedish. It’s a more informal and affectionate term compared to ‘mor’, which is more formal.
Min mamma heter Anna.

Pappa
Pappa is the Swedish word for father. Like ‘mamma’, it’s a less formal and more endearing term when compared to ‘far’, which is the formal word.
Min pappa lär mig att spela schack.

Morfar
Morfar means maternal grandfather. It combines the words for mother (‘mor’) and father (‘far’) to specify the grandfather on the mother’s side.
Min morfar är en mycket vis man.

Mormor
Similarly, mormor is the word for maternal grandmother, using the base word ‘mor’ to indicate the side of the family.
Jag ska baka kakor med min mormor imorgon.

Farfar
Farfar refers to paternal grandfather. ‘Far’ is used twice here to signify the father’s father.
Varje söndag går jag på fiske med min farfar.

Farmor
Farmor is the Swedish word for paternal grandmother. As with morfar, the combination indicates the grandmother on the father’s side.
Min farmor är expert på att sticka.

Syskon
Syskon is the Swedish word for siblings. It is a gender-neutral term used to describe brothers and sisters collectively.
Jag har tre syskon: två bröder och en syster.

Bror
The word for brother in Swedish is bror. It refers to a male sibling.
Min bror studerar till ingenjör.

Syster
The Swedish word for sister is syster. It is used for a female sibling.
Min syster är min bästa vän.

Son
Son refers to a male child. The word in Swedish is son and is used to talk about one’s own son or someone else’s.
Min son har precis börjat skolan.

Dotter
The word for a female child or daughter in Swedish is dotter. It can also be used to refer to someone else’s daughter.
Min dotter älskar att dansa.

Morbror
Morbror translates to maternal uncle, meaning the brother of one’s mother.
Min morbror ska gifta sig nästa sommar.

Farbror
The word farbror in Swedish means paternal uncle, indicating a father’s brother.
Varje jul får jag en bok från min farbror.

Moster
Moster is the word for maternal aunt, the sister of one’s mother.
Min moster är en fantastisk konstnär.

Faster
Faster refers to a paternal aunt in Swedish, who is the sister to one’s father.
Min faster är läkare.

Kusin
The gender-neutral term for cousin in Swedish is kusin. It can refer to both male and female cousins.
Jag och min kusin går i samma klass.

By learning these Swedish words for family members, you can more effectively engage in conversations about family, whether you’re discussing your own relatives or learning about someone else’s. Practice using these terms with the given examples sentences, and you’ll enrich your Swedish vocabulary in a way that connects you to the culture and the people. Lycka till! (Good luck!)