das Familienmitglied
family member
A person who belongs to a family; a relative.
EXAMPLE
Jedes Familienmitglied hat bei der Vorbereitung des Festes geholfen.
Every family member helped prepare for the celebration.
das Familienmitglied
family member
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Meanings
Usage tips
Compound word
The word is composed of 'die Familie' (the family) and 'das Mitglied' (the member). The '-n-' in between is a linking element that connects the two words. It literally means 'a member of the family.'
EXAMPLE
Mein Onkel ist ein wichtiges Familienmitglied für mich.
My uncle is an important family member to me.
General term
'Familienmitglied' (family member) is a neutral umbrella term for all relatives. It is often used when the exact relationship, e.g. aunt, cousin, grandfather, is not important or when everyone is being grouped together.
EXAMPLE
Zur Feier waren alle Familienmitglieder eingeladen.
All family members were invited to the celebration.
Typical collocations
The word is often combined with adjectives that describe the closeness of the relationship. Typical examples are 'enges Familienmitglied' (close family member) or 'entferntes Familienmitglied' (distant family member).
EXAMPLE
Meine Großmutter ist ein sehr enges Familienmitglied.
My grandmother is a very close family member.
Compare with
Familienmitglied vs Angehörige
relative / member
For a person from the family, both “Angehöriger” and “Familienmitglied” are possible. “Angehöriger” sounds more formal and is especially common in institutional texts. “Familienmitglied” explicitly states that the person belongs to the family and also works well in neutral or personal communications.
Familienmitglied
In ihrer Nachricht schreibt Mia, dass ein Familienmitglied sie abholt.
In her message, Mia writes that a family member will pick her up.
Angehörige
Im Klinikformular soll ein Angehöriger als Kontaktperson eingetragen werden.
A relative is to be entered as the contact person on the clinic form.
In real life
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