Use the fictional family details from the recordings for these exercises; you do not need to describe your own family. In this workshop, you will practice speaking about your family in French. You will learn to say how many brothers and sisters you have, where your parents live, and how to choose the right possessive adjective. You will listen to short recordings and repeat them, then use them in simple conversations. The focus is on speaking clearly and correctly, not on speed. By the end, you will be able to introduce your family in a few sentences.
Talking About Brothers and Sisters
To say how many brothers and sisters you have, use the verb avoir (to have). For example, «J'ai deux sœurs.» means 'I have two sisters.' The word deux means two, and sœurs is the plural of sister. If you have one brother and one sister, you can say «J'ai un frère et une sœur.», which means 'I have one brother and one sister.' Notice that un is used for a male (un frère) and une for a female (une sœur). The word et means 'and.' Practice saying these sentences aloud, paying attention to the pronunciation: 'zhay duh suhr' and 'zhay un frehr ay oon suhr.'
Saying Where People Live
To say where someone lives, use the verb habiter (to live). For example, «Mes parents habitent à l'étranger.» means 'My parents live abroad.' Here, mes is the plural possessive meaning 'my' for more than one person. The form habitent is used for ils/elles (they). If you want to say where one person lives, use habite. For instance, «Ma sœur habite à Lyon.» means 'My sister lives in Lyon.' Notice that ma is used before a feminine singular noun like sœur. Practice these sentences: 'may pah-RAHN ah-beet ah lay-trawn-ZHAY' and 'mah suhr ah-beet ah lee-OHN.'
Asking and Answering About Family
When you meet someone, you might ask about their family. The question «Tu as des frères et sœurs ?» means 'Do you have brothers and sisters?' A possible answer is «Oui, j'ai une sœur et deux frères.», which means 'Yes, I have one sister and two brothers.' To ask where someone's parents live, you can say «Et tes parents, ils habitent où ?», meaning 'And your parents, where do they live?' The answer could be «Mes parents habitent à l'étranger, mais ma sœur habite à Paris.», which means 'My parents live abroad, but my sister lives in Paris.' Notice how the speaker uses mes parents (my parents) and ma sœur (my sister). Practice these exchanges with a partner or by yourself, playing both roles.
Listen once, then say the phrase yourself. Slow playback keeps the original pitch.
Checking available voices…
J'ai deux sœurs.
I have two sisters.
zhay duh suhr
J'ai un frère et une sœur.
I have one brother and one sister.
zhay un frehr ay oon suhr
Mes parents habitent à l'étranger.
My parents live abroad.
may pah-RAHN ah-beet ah lay-trawn-ZHAY
Ma sœur habite à Lyon.
My sister lives in Lyon.
mah suhr ah-beet ah lee-OHN
Read one side aloud, then answer in your own words. The goal is to make the exchange yours.
Tu as des frères et sœurs ?
Do you have brothers and sisters?Oui, j'ai une sœur et deux frères.
Yes, I have one sister and two brothers.Et tes parents, ils habitent où ?
And your parents, where do they live?Mes parents habitent à l'étranger, mais ma sœur habite à Paris.
My parents live abroad, but my sister lives in Paris.Your turn
Try each prompt out loud. Choose a guided start, the full sequence, or a challenge pass after your first attempt.
Guided Exchange: Introduce Your Siblings
Imagine you are talking to a new friend. They ask you about your brothers and sisters. You will use the recording to answer.
Your task: Listen to «Tu as des frères et sœurs ?» and then respond with «Oui, j'ai une sœur et deux frères.». Repeat the exchange three times, focusing on clear pronunciation. Then, switch roles: say «Tu as des frères et sœurs ?» and imagine the other person replies with «Oui, j'ai une sœur et deux frères.».
Reply Comprehension: Where Do They Live?
You will hear a question about where parents live. Choose the correct answer from the options based on the recording.
Your task: Listen to «Et tes parents, ils habitent où ?». Then read the two possible answers: A) «Mes parents habitent à l'étranger.» and B) «Ma sœur habite à Lyon.». Which one answers the question about parents? Say the correct answer aloud. Then, listen to «Mes parents habitent à l'étranger, mais ma sœur habite à Paris.» and decide if the sister lives in Paris or abroad.
Recall and Role-Play: Family Conversation
Now, put everything together. You will play both roles in a conversation about family, using the recordings as a model.
Your task: Recall the exchange in order: A asks «Tu as des frères et sœurs ?», B answers «Oui, j'ai une sœur et deux frères.», A asks «Et tes parents, ils habitent où ?», and B replies «Mes parents habitent à l'étranger, mais ma sœur habite à Paris.». Keep each answer next to its question. Then swap performers and repeat.
Common questions
Why do the examples use ma sœur and mes parents?
Sœur is a feminine singular noun, so the recorded example uses ma sœur. Parents is plural, so it uses mes parents. In «Mes parents habitent à l'étranger, mais ma sœur habite à Paris.», the parents live abroad and the sister lives in Paris. Repeat that line to rehearse both forms.
How do I say 'I have' in French?
You say j'ai. This is the je form of the verb avoir. You can see it in «J'ai deux sœurs.» and «J'ai un frère et une sœur.». Remember that j'ai is used for 'I have'.
Sources and further reading
- french: describe your familyChecked September 2026
Practice real time conversations on Yapr for faster learning.
Take today's French into a conversation with a Yapr AI tutor. Speak, make mistakes, and try again.
Practice on Yapr