Family vocabulary 2 (143)

Words we use to talk about our families (mother, family, marriage etc.) can also have other meanings, either on their own or as part of compound words or phrases.

Family

Ways of describing families and family relations

step-mother (also step-brother / step-sister / step-father / step-parent )
a woman who is married to someone's father but who is not their real mother

...After she married Chris, she became step-mother to his three children (as well as having her own daughter from her first marriage).

ex-husband (also ex-wife / ex-boyfriend / ex-partner)
used to describe someone you used to have a relationship with

...It was such a bitter divorce that she never spoke to her ex-husband after the divorce.

Other words with 'family'

run in the family
a trait or type of behaviour that is similar in brothers and sisters or in children and parents. "If a quality, ability, disease, etc. runs in the family, many members of the family have it"

...She's great at singing. But it's no surprise really, being musical runs in the family. You know her grandfather was a famous opera singer and all her sisters play the piano.
...Intelligence seems to run in that family.
...Athletic ability runs in the family : his father played basketball in college and his mother was a high school athlete.
...We're all ambitious - it seems to run in the family.

start a family (mempunyai anak)
have your first child, become a parent for the first time

...Paul and Alison are hoping to start a family (= have children) soon.
...They've been married for five years and now they want to start a family.

be in the family way
(informal) to be pregnant, be expecting a baby

...Have you heard that Jean's in the family way?
...No wine for me, just some orange juice. You know I'm in the family way, don't you? So no booze for me for a while

blended family
new family made up of two people (who were previously married to other partner) and the children from those previous marriages .


Marriage

Other words with 'marry' or 'marriage'

be married to something
be very close to something, very committed or very involved with something

...Rachel seems to be married to (= very involved with) her new job at the moment, so we hardly ever see her.
....He's completely married to that marketing idea but I just don't think it's going to work.

a marriage of things
two things joined together

...Her work is a marriage of art and politics

Marry in haste, repent at leisure (fixed saying)
if you marry someone quickly, without knowing them well, you will regret it later. "something that you say which means if you marry someone too soon, without knowing for certain that they are the right person for you, you will have an unhappy marriage.

...She's only 17 and she won't listen to anyone but you know the old saying 'Marry in haste, repent at leisure'

...It's true I've only known him for six months and I know you're thinking 'marry in haste, repent at leisure' but I'm telling you, he's the man for me.

Stages of a relationship

see someone : be involved in a romantic.

...How long have you been seeing her?

sleep with someone : (informal)
have a sexual relationship with someone

He says he's not going to sleep with anyone until he gets married.
He found out that his wife had been sleeping with his best friend.

be engaged (to someone) :
agree to marry someone (often people exchange rings and set a date for the wedding): "having formally agreed to marry"

...They've been engaged for five years! I don't know if they're ever going to get married.
...Debbie and Chris have just got engaged.
...She was engaged to some guy in the army.
...FORMAL: They're engaged to be married in June.
...They announced their engagement at the party on Saturday.(noun)
...an engagement party

get hitched / tie the knot : (informal) get married

...Is Tracy really getting hitched then?
...So when are you two going to tie the knot?
...When are you two going to tie the knot?
...She's planning to tie the knot with her German boyfriend next June. [often + with]
...Have you heard? Callum's just tied the knot! I thought he was a confirmed bachelor.

be separated (from someone)
no longer live with someone you are married to

...They decided to separate even though they'd only been married for a year or two.
...My parents separated when I was six and divorced a couple of years later
...If two married people separate, they stop living together as husband and wife, often as a part of a legal arrangement.
...separation is an often legal arrangement by which two married people stop living together as husband and wife.

divorce (someone) : divorcee
formally end a marriage

...Ford divorced his wife, Anne, in 1964, and married Cristina a year later.
...He never understood why his parents didn't get divorced (= end their marriage legally).
...I got a divorce when the children were small
...She's divorcing her husband
...The last I heard they were getting a divorce.
...Divorce is on the increase.Ellie wants a divorce.
...What are the chances of a marriage ending in divorce?
...She's divorced.
...They got divorced after only six months of marriage.
...She divorced him after she found out he had been having an affair.

Vocabulary

save your marriage
work at your relationship after you have had some difficulties, rather than splitting up or getting divorced

...He was desperately trying to save their failing marriage

give it a go : try, :
attempt "give sth a go"

...Only a few people are successful as sports professionals, but it's worth giving it a go.

vows : serious promises

...[+ to infinitive] She took/made a vow never to lend money to anyone again
...[+ (that)] The guerillas vowed (that) they would overthrow the government.
...[+ to infinitive] After the awful meals we had last Christmas, I vowed to do more of the cooking



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