Using Possessive Forms

To show that someone belongs to your family, add 's to the person's name:

• This is Juma's father. → Juma is the son.
• Rehema's mother is a teacher.
• Tyson is Robert's son.

Using "My" with Family Words

Always use "my" before family words when introducing them:

• This is my father.
• My mother is a nurse.
• My sister lives in Dar es Salaam.

Introducing Your Family

When describing your family, follow this pattern:

Name + relationship + additional information

• My name is Musa. My father is a farmer, and my mother is a housewife. I have two brothers and one sister.

Here is how to describe the Mwinyi family:

My name is Fatuma. My father is Mwinyi, and my mother is Amina. My grandfather lives in Morogoro. My father's brother is my uncle, and his name is Rashidi. My mother's sister is my aunt, and her name is Salma. I have a cousin called Jamila; she is my uncle's daughter. My sister-in-law, Asha, is married to my brother, Bakari.

Notice how each relationship is clearly stated using the correct vocabulary and grammar.

When describing a family tree, start from the oldest generation and move down:

Mwalimu married Biashara. They have three children: Mkwasi, Mhina, and Juma. Mkwasi married Komba, and they have two children, Musa and Mwanaisha. Mhina is still in school. Juma is married to Mariam, and they have one son called M十字.

1. This is my _______ (father/mother/brother/sister).
2. My aunt is my mother's ________.
3. My cousin is my uncle's ________.
4. My father's brother is my ________.
5. My sister's son is my ________.

In Tanzania, you use family relationship vocabulary when introducing your family to new friends, filling out school forms that ask for parents' names, or explaining who will attend a wedding or funeral. For example, when a teacher asks you to write "My family" for a composition, you need to correctly name each family member and use proper grammar so the reader understands exactly how each person is related to you.