01
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
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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 Art
kind / way
'die Art' and 'die Familie' can both refer to groups, but they belong in different contexts. 'die Art' often means a kind or type; in biology, it is a precise group of living beings that can reproduce with one another. 'die Familie' in everyday language means parents, children, and relatives. In biology, it is a larger group than the species. Learners may confuse the words because both can talk about groups of people, animals, or plants. As a simple guide: for relatives, you say 'Familie'; for a kind, type, or biological species, you say 'Art'.
Familie
Vor der Reise besucht Mehmet noch seine Familie.
Before the trip, Mehmet visits his family.
Art
Diese Art von Vogel lebt nur in warmen Regionen.
This species of bird lives only in warm regions.
In real life
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