Familie
Meine Familie wohnt in Berlin.
My family lives in Berlin.
A group of people related by blood, marriage, or adoption, typically living together or connected by strong emotional bonds.
Sie hat eine große Familie mit fünf Geschwistern.
She has a big family with five siblings.
Die Familie Müller zieht bald in ein neues Haus.
The Müller family is moving to a new house soon.
In German, 'Familie' can refer to the immediate family (parents and children) or the extended family. It is always capitalized as it is a noun.
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Pro Tip
Capitalization Rule
In German, all nouns are capitalized, including 'Familie'. This is a key difference from English where only proper nouns are capitalized.
Gold Rule
Contextual Meaning
While 'family' in English can sometimes imply only the immediate family, 'Familie' in German often includes extended family members unless specified otherwise.
Word Origin
From Latin 'familia' (household, family), derived from 'famulus' (servant, slave). The word entered German via Old High German 'familia' in the 8th century.
Usage Notes
In German, 'Familie' is a feminine noun (die Familie) and always capitalized. It can refer to both the nuclear family and the extended family. The term is used broadly and does not carry the same cultural nuances as in some other languages (e.g., the distinction between 'family' and 'household' in English is less strict in German).