Family vocabulary in Lebanese Arabic (core, extended, in-laws)

One thing that surprises most learners: Lebanese Arabic distinguishes maternal from paternal uncles and aunts. 3ammi is your dad's brother; 5ali is your mum's brother. There's no single word for ‘uncle’ — you always specify the side.

Useful family sentences

• هيدي إمّي— This is my mother — hayde emmi.
• أخي عايش ببيروت— My brother lives in Beirut — akhi 3aayesh bi Bayrout.
• عندي أختين— I have two sisters — 3andi ekhtayn.
• ستّي لبنانية— My grandma is Lebanese — sitti Lebnaniyye.
• سلّم ع عيلتك— Say hi to your family — sallem 3a eyltak.

Cultural notes

• Family greetings matter: after ‘kifak?’ (how are you), the next question is almost always ‘kif el eyle?’ (how's the family?).
• Elders are addressed with ‘3ammo’ / ‘khalto’ (uncle/aunt) even when unrelated — it's a sign of respect.
• The word ‘eyle’ (family) usually means the extended family, not just the nuclear one.

Family vocabulary is the one area where a generic word list rarely fits: what you need depends on who your relatives actually are. In one-on-one lessons the material is built around your own family — and around the situations you will actually be in.

Related: 35+ daily-life phrases · Lebanese culture guide.