In this workshop you will speak about your family in Spanish. You will practice naming relatives, using words like mi and mis to show who belongs to whom, and saying where people live. You will hear native examples and then try short speaking tasks. You can play both roles in the dialogues. There is no automatic scoring, so use the answer keys to check yourself. Speak aloud as much as possible. If you need to pause, do so, then repeat the line. Focus on clear, simple sentences.
Talking About Siblings and Parents
Start with a simple sentence about brothers or sisters. The verb tengo means I have. The number comes before the noun. For example, «Tengo dos hermanas.» means I have two sisters. Notice that hermanas is feminine plural. If you have one brother, you would say un hermano. If you have one sister, una hermana. To ask someone else, use ¿Tienes hermanos? which means Do you have siblings? The answer can be Sí, tengo... or No, no tengo... Practice saying your own number of siblings aloud. Then listen to a short exchange. «¿Tienes hermanos?» asks if you have siblings. «Sí, tengo dos hermanas y un hermano.» answers yes and gives two sisters and one brother. Try to repeat both lines. Pay attention to the rhythm. The word y means and. The word un means one for a masculine noun. You can also talk about parents. Padres means parents. Viven means they live. «Mis padres viven en el extranjero.» means My parents live abroad. The phrase en el extranjero means abroad. Use it when your parents live in another country. If they live here, say viven aquí. If they live in a specific country, say viven en followed by the country name. For example, en México. Practice switching between aquí and en el extranjero.
Using Possessive Words: Mi, Mis, Nuestros
Possessive words change depending on whether the noun is singular or plural. Mi is used with one person or thing. Mis is used with more than one. For example, mi hermana means my sister. Mis hermanas means my sisters. The recording «Mi hermana se llama Ana.» says Mi hermana se llama Ana. This means My sister is called Ana. The phrase se llama is used to give someone's name. You can use it for any person. For example, mi hermano se llama... or mis padres se llaman... Notice that se llama changes to se llaman for plural. Now look at our. Nuestro is used with a masculine singular noun. Nuestra is used with a feminine singular noun. Nuestros is used with a masculine plural noun. Nuestras is used with a feminine plural noun. The recording «Nuestros abuelos viven en México.» says Nuestros abuelos viven en México. This means Our grandparents live in Mexico. Abuelos means grandparents. It is masculine plural, so we use nuestros. If you want to say our grandmothers, you would use nuestras abuelas. Practice saying these possessives with different family words. Remember that the possessive agrees with the thing possessed, not the owner. So mis padres means my parents, and tus padres means your parents. The word tus is the plural of tu, which means your for one person. For example, ¿Tus padres viven aquí? means Do your parents live here? The recording «¿Y tus padres viven aquí?» asks exactly that. The answer «No, mis padres viven en el extranjero.» says No, mis padres viven en el extranjero. This means No, my parents live abroad. Notice the switch from tus to mis. Practice asking and answering with a partner or by yourself.
Putting It Together: A Short Conversation
Now combine what you have learned. You can ask about siblings and parents. You can answer with tengo and viven. You can use possessives like mi, mis, tus, and nuestros. You can say where people live. Here is a model conversation based on the recordings. Person A asks «¿Tienes hermanos?». Person B answers «Sí, tengo dos hermanas y un hermano.». Then Person A asks «¿Y tus padres viven aquí?». Person B answers «No, mis padres viven en el extranjero.». Try to play both roles. First, read the lines aloud. Then, cover the text and try to remember. You can also change the number of siblings or the location. For example, you could say tengo tres hermanas or mis padres viven en México. But keep the structure the same. Use the recordings as your guide. When you speak, focus on clear vowels. Spanish vowels are short and pure. Practice the rolled r in hermano and hermana. It is okay if you cannot roll it perfectly. The important thing is to communicate. Speak slowly and clearly. If you make a mistake, repeat the sentence.
Listen once, then say the phrase yourself. Slow playback keeps the original pitch.
Checking available voices…
Tengo dos hermanas.
I have two sisters.
TEN-goh dohs er-MAH-nahs
Mis padres viven en el extranjero.
My parents live abroad.
mees PAH-drehs VEE-vehn en el eks-tran-HEH-roh
Mi hermana se llama Ana.
My sister is called Ana.
mee er-MAH-nah seh YAH-mah AH-nah
Nuestros abuelos viven en México.
Our grandparents live in Mexico.
NWES-trohs ah-BWEH-lohs VEE-vehn en MEH-hee-koh
Read one side aloud, then answer in your own words. The goal is to make the exchange yours.
¿Tienes hermanos?
Do you have siblings?Sí, tengo dos hermanas y un hermano.
Yes, I have two sisters and one brother.¿Y tus padres viven aquí?
And do your parents live here?No, mis padres viven en el extranjero.
No, my parents live abroad.Your turn
Try each prompt out loud. Choose a guided start, the full sequence, or a challenge pass after your first attempt.
Guided Exchange: Ask and Answer About Siblings
You will play both roles in a short conversation. Use the recordings as a model. First, listen to «¿Tienes hermanos?» and «Sí, tengo dos hermanas y un hermano.». Then, take turns saying each line aloud.
Your task: Say the question from «¿Tienes hermanos?» aloud. Then answer with the sentence from «Sí, tengo dos hermanas y un hermano.». Repeat this exchange three times. Then, change only the number of sisters while keeping the same structure. For example, say you have three sisters and one brother: Tengo tres hermanas y un hermano. Use the same pattern: Tengo + number + hermanas + y + un hermano.
Reply Comprehension: Where Do the Parents Live?
Listen to the exchange between A and B. A asks «¿Y tus padres viven aquí?» and B answers «No, mis padres viven en el extranjero.». Then answer the question below.
Your task: After listening, choose the correct answer: Do B's parents live here or abroad? Say your answer aloud in English, then say the Spanish sentence from the recording that supports your choice.
Recall with Correct Roles: Who Says What?
Review the four lines from the dialogue: «¿Tienes hermanos?», «Sí, tengo dos hermanas y un hermano.», «¿Y tus padres viven aquí?», and «No, mis padres viven en el extranjero.». Then cover the text and try to remember who says each line.
Your task: Say the four lines aloud in order. For each line, say whether it is Person A or Person B. Then, switch roles: if you first said A's lines, now say B's lines, and vice versa. Do this without looking at the text.
Common questions
How do I know when to use mi versus mis?
Use mi with one person or thing, and mis with more than one. For example, mi hermana means my sister, and mis hermanas means my sisters. The possessive agrees with the noun that follows it, not with the owner. So even if the owner is one person, you use mis if the noun is plural.
What does en el extranjero mean?
En el extranjero means abroad or in a foreign country. It is a common Latin American way to say abroad. You can use it to say that someone lives abroad, as in «Mis padres viven en el extranjero.» and «No, mis padres viven en el extranjero.». If you want to say they live here, use aquí instead.
Sources and further reading
- spanish: describe your familyChecked September 2026
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