die Familie
family
A social group that typically consists of parents and their children living together in one household.
EXAMPLE
Am Sonntag isst die ganze Familie gemeinsam zu Mittag.
On Sunday, the whole family eats lunch together.
die Familie
family
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Meanings
die Familie
family
All of a person's relatives, including grandparents, uncles, aunts, and cousins.
EXAMPLE
Zur Hochzeit kam die Familie aus ganz Deutschland angereist.
The family traveled from all over Germany to come to the wedding.
die Familie
family
In a figurative sense, a group of people or things connected by shared interests, qualities, or a close bond.
EXAMPLE
Er betrachtet seine Kollegen im Büro als seine zweite Familie.
He considers his colleagues at the office his second family.
die Familie
family
In biology, a classification level for living organisms that stands between order and genus.
EXAMPLE
Katzen, Löwen und Tiger gehören alle zur Familie der Felidae.
Cats, lions, and tigers all belong to the family Felidae.
Usage tips
Immediate and extended family
The word 'Familie' (family) can mean both the nuclear family (parents and children) and all relatives. You usually have to infer from context who exactly is meant.
EXAMPLE
Meine Familie wohnt in einem Haus, aber zu Weihnachten treffen wir die ganze Familie.
My family lives in one house, but at Christmas we meet the whole family.
Typical collocation
A very common and important collocation is 'eine Familie gründen' (to start a family). This means to marry and have children.
EXAMPLE
Viele junge Leute möchten erst ihre Ausbildung beenden, bevor sie eine Familie gründen.
Many young people want to finish their training first before starting a family.
Context clue
When 'Familie' (family) is used figuratively, it describes a close emotional bond within a group. Watch for words like 'Team' (team), 'Kollegen' (colleagues), or 'Freunde' (friends) in the same sentence.
EXAMPLE
Unser Team ist über die Jahre zu einer echten Familie zusammengewachsen.
Over the years, our team has grown into a real family.
Biological context
In biology, 'Familie' (family) is a technical term. You can recognize this meaning from scientific terms like 'Gattung' (genus), 'Ordnung' (order), or Latin names in the text.
EXAMPLE
Der Delfin gehört zur Familie der Zahnwale.
The dolphin belongs to the family of toothed whales.
Compare with
Familie vs Geschlecht
gender / sex
Familie and Geschlecht can both refer to a historically well-known group of relatives. Familie is more general and can mean the relatives as a group, while Geschlecht emphasizes a line of descent spanning several generations. Geschlecht fits particularly well for a historical dynasty; Familie works for the relatives in general.
Familie
Die Familie Medici hatte in Florenz großen Einfluss.
The Medici family had a great deal of influence in Florence.
Geschlecht
Das Geschlecht der Medici prägte die Geschichte von Florenz über mehrere Generationen.
The Medici lineage shaped the history of Florence over several generations.
In real life
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