relatives / kinship
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relatives
All the people who are related to one another by birth or marriage; family in the broader sense.
Zur Hochzeit kam die ganze Verwandtschaft aus Deutschland und Österreich.
The whole family came to the wedding from Germany and Austria.
kinship
The relationship or connection between people who are descended from one another or connected by marriage.
Die genetische Untersuchung bestätigte die enge Verwandtschaft zwischen den beiden.
The genetic test confirmed the close kinship between the two.
affinity
A similarity or inner connection between different things, ideas, or concepts.
Man erkennt eine deutliche Verwandtschaft zwischen den beiden Musikstilen.
You can recognize a clear affinity between the two musical styles.
'Verwandtschaft' (relatives / kinship) is derived from the adjective 'verwandt' (related). The ending '-schaft' forms a noun that describes a state or a group, similar to 'Freundschaft' (friendship) or 'Mannschaft' (team).
Die enge Freundschaft der beiden fühlt sich fast wie Verwandtschaft an.
The close friendship between the two feels almost like kinship.
The meaning depends on context. If one is speaking about people ('meine Verwandtschaft' — my relatives), it means relatives. In a scientific or formal context ('die Verwandtschaft zwischen den Arten' — the kinship between the species), it is about the relationship. With abstract things ('Verwandtschaft der Ideen' — affinity of ideas), it is about similarity.
Meine ganze Verwandtschaft trifft sich an Weihnachten.
All my relatives get together at Christmas.
In the meaning 'family members', 'Verwandtschaft' (relatives) is a collective noun. It is singular, but describes a group of several people. The plural 'Verwandtschaften' is not used in this meaning.
Die Verwandtschaft ist aus der ganzen Welt angereist.
The relatives have traveled from all over the world.
When it is about similarity, 'Verwandtschaft' (affinity) is often combined with adjectives such as 'eng' (close), 'deutlich' (clear), or 'geistig' (intellectual/spiritual). Typical verbs are 'erkennen' (to recognize), 'aufweisen' (to exhibit), or 'bestehen' (to exist).
Zwischen den beiden Theorien besteht eine enge geistige Verwandtschaft.
There is a close intellectual affinity between the two theories.
family
Familie and Verwandtschaft can both refer broadly to a person’s relatives. Familie is the neutral, everyday word, while Verwandtschaft emphasizes the entire network of relatives as a group more strongly. Familie fits close relatives, while Verwandtschaft is often used for many or more distant relatives.
Zur großen Feier kommt am Sonntag die ganze Verwandtschaft.
The whole extended family is coming to the big celebration on Sunday.
Meine Familie kommt am Sonntag zum gemeinsamen Essen.
My family is coming over for a meal on Sunday.
