People & Relationships
Words for describing people, social roles, and personal connections
Overview
25 essential words for talking about people, their roles, and social connections beyond immediate family.
Words
adult /ˈædʌlt/
noun, adjective — A1
Meaning: a fully grown person; not a child
Examples:
- This movie is for adults only.
- She’s an adult now — she can make her own decisions.
Collocations: young adult, adult education, adult life
age /eɪdʒ/
noun — A1
Meaning: the number of years someone has lived
Examples:
- What age is your daughter?
- She started playing piano at the age of five.
Collocations: at the age of, old age, age group, middle age
Word Family: age (n./v.) → aged (adj.) → aging (n./adj.)
anyone /ˈeniwʌn/
pronoun — A1
Meaning: any person; it does not matter who
Examples:
- Is anyone home?
- Anyone can learn to cook.
Collocations: anyone else, if anyone, not anyone
aunt /ɑːnt/
noun — A1
Meaning: the sister of your mother or father
Examples:
- My aunt lives in Paris.
- Aunt Maria is coming for dinner.
Collocations: aunt and uncle, great-aunt
boyfriend /ˈbɔɪfrend/
noun — A1
Meaning: a man or boy that someone is having a romantic relationship with
Examples:
- She introduced her boyfriend to her parents.
- Is that your new boyfriend?
Collocations: ex-boyfriend, have a boyfriend
born /bɔːn/
verb — A1
Meaning: to come out of a mother’s body at the beginning of life
Examples:
- I was born in 1995.
- She was born in a small village.
Collocations: be born, born in, born and raised, newborn
captain /ˈkæptɪn/
noun — A1
Meaning: the person in charge of a ship, aircraft, or sports team
Examples:
- The captain welcomed everyone on board.
- She’s the captain of the football team.
Collocations: team captain, captain of the ship
cousin /ˈkʌzn/
noun — A1
Meaning: the child of your aunt or uncle
Examples:
- My cousin is the same age as me.
- We visited our cousins during the holiday.
Collocations: first cousin, second cousin
daughter /ˈdɔːtər/
noun — A1
Meaning: a female child in relation to her parents
Examples:
- They have two daughters and a son.
- Their daughter is studying medicine.
Collocations: eldest daughter, only daughter
everyone /ˈevriwʌn/
pronoun — A1
Meaning: every person; all people
Examples:
- Everyone in the class passed the test.
- I hope everyone is having a good time.
Collocations: everyone else, not everyone, everyone knows
girlfriend /ˈɡɜːlfrend/
noun — A1
Meaning: a woman or girl that someone is having a romantic relationship with
Examples:
- He wants to buy a gift for his girlfriend.
- My girlfriend and I went to the cinema.
Collocations: ex-girlfriend, have a girlfriend
grandchild /ˈɡræntʃaɪld/
noun — A1
Meaning: the child of your son or daughter
Examples:
- She has four grandchildren.
- They love spending time with their grandchildren.
Collocations: first grandchild, great-grandchild
grandfather /ˈɡrænfɑːðər/
noun — A1
Meaning: the father of your father or mother
Examples:
- My grandfather is 85 years old.
- I was named after my grandfather.
Collocations: great-grandfather, paternal grandfather
grandmother /ˈɡrænmʌðər/
noun — A1
Meaning: the mother of your father or mother
Examples:
- My grandmother makes the best cookies.
- She lives with her grandmother.
Collocations: great-grandmother, maternal grandmother
guest /ɡest/
noun — A1
Meaning: a person who is invited to visit or stay
Examples:
- We’re having guests for dinner tonight.
- The hotel can hold 200 guests.
Collocations: guest room, special guest, wedding guest
king /kɪŋ/
noun — A1
Meaning: the male ruler of a country
Examples:
- The king lived in a beautiful palace.
- He was crowned king at the age of twenty.
Collocations: king and queen, king of
neighbour /ˈneɪbər/
noun — A1
Meaning: a person who lives next to or near you
Examples:
- Our neighbours are very friendly.
- I borrowed some sugar from my neighbour.
Collocations: next-door neighbour, good neighbour
Word Family: neighbour (n.) → neighbourhood (n.) → neighbouring (adj.)
nobody /ˈnəʊbədi/
pronoun — A1
Meaning: not anyone; no person
Examples:
- Nobody was home when I called.
- Nobody knows the answer.
Collocations: nobody else, nobody knows
own /əʊn/
adjective, verb — A1
Meaning: (adj.) belonging to a particular person; (v.) to have something
Examples:
- I want my own room.
- She owns a small bookshop.
Collocations: on my own, own up, my own, home owner
Word Family: own (adj./v.) → owner (n.) → ownership (n.)
parent /ˈpeərənt/
noun — A1
Meaning: a mother or father
Examples:
- Both my parents are retired.
- She became a parent at 30.
Collocations: single parent, parent and child, parenting
queen /kwiːn/
noun — A1
Meaning: the female ruler of a country
Examples:
- The queen visited the hospital.
- She became queen in 1952.
Collocations: king and queen, queen of
self /self/
noun — A1
Meaning: a person’s own nature or personality
Examples:
- She’s back to her usual self.
- Be your true self.
Collocations: self-confident, by yourself, himself, herself, myself
son /sʌn/
noun — A1
Meaning: a male child in relation to his parents
Examples:
- Their son is starting university.
- He’s the son of a famous writer.
Collocations: eldest son, only son, son and daughter
uncle /ˈʌŋkl/
noun — A1
Meaning: the brother of your mother or father
Examples:
- My uncle taught me to drive.
- Uncle Tom is visiting this weekend.
Collocations: uncle and aunt, great-uncle
who /huː/
pronoun — A1
Meaning: used to ask or tell about a person’s identity
Examples:
- Who is that man?
- She’s the one who helped me.
Collocations: who is, who else, anyone who, those who
Quick Review
| Word | Type | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| adult | n./adj. | fully grown person |
| age | n. | years lived |
| anyone | pron. | any person |
| aunt | n. | parent’s sister |
| boyfriend | n. | male partner |
| born | v. | come into life |
| captain | n. | leader/commander |
| cousin | n. | aunt/uncle’s child |
| daughter | n. | female child |
| everyone | pron. | all people |
| girlfriend | n. | female partner |
| grandchild | n. | child of your child |
| grandfather | n. | father’s/mother’s father |
| grandmother | n. | father’s/mother’s mother |
| guest | n. | invited visitor |
| king | n. | male ruler |
| neighbour | n. | person living nearby |
| nobody | pron. | not anyone |
| own | adj./v. | belonging to; to have |
| parent | n. | mother or father |
| queen | n. | female ruler |
| self | n. | own nature |
| son | n. | male child |
| uncle | n. | parent’s brother |
| who | pron. | asks about identity |