Ma Maison, Ma Famille — My House, My Family in French

Imagine you are video-calling a new friend in France. She asks: 'Who lives in your house?' Could you answer in French? Even one word? Right now, French words for family and home might feel like a secret code — but in a few minutes, you will crack it! Look at the image below. Can you guess which French word goes with 'mother'? The options are: papa, maman, or frère.

French is spoken by over 300 million people around the world. Learning vocabulary — the words of a language — is the first step to speaking it. **Family words (La famille)** In French, the family is called 'la famille'. Here are the key people: • maman — mother • papa — father • le frère — the brother • la sœur — the sister • le grand-père — the grandfather • la grand-mère — the grandmother Notice that French words are either masculine (le) or feminine (la). This is called gender in grammar. Every noun — a word for a person, place, or thing — has a gender in French. **House words (La maison)** The house is called 'la maison'. Here are the rooms inside: • la cuisine — the kitchen • le salon — the living room • la chambre — the bedroom • la salle de bains — the bathroom • le jardin — the garden (outside the house, but part of the home!) **How to remember them** Try to spot small clues. 'Maman' sounds a little like 'mama'. 'La cuisine' is where you cook — and the English word 'cuisine' means cooking! These links help your brain hold on to new words.