When you need this

Family is a standard small-talk topic: "Do you have brothers or sisters?" "Are your parents nearby?" People ask to be friendly, and the expected answer is short, with one detail that gives the other person something to follow up on. "I've got an older sister in Toronto. We talk every Sunday" does more than a list of names.

This lesson also covers how families spend time together and how people describe being close, or not. English has a lot of phrasal verbs for this: get together, catch up, grow up, look up to. They're what make these conversations sound relaxed.

Phrases

someone with no brothers or sisters

describing brothers and sisters by age

brothers and sisters together

spend your childhood somewhere

have a strong relationship with

admire and respect someone

look or act like an older family member

the family of your husband or wife

meet socially

a big gathering of relatives who rarely meet

stay in contact

slowly become less close

Say it out loud

Tap a sentence to hear it. Say it after the voice.

Practice · 3 min

Say one natural line for each situation.

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Say it today

Use it once in a real conversation before tomorrow. Out loud counts, even to yourself.