Title: Family v. Familiar
Duration: 5-7 minutes
Level: pre-int +
Language Focus: Commonly Confused Words
Objective: Vocabulary, To identify differences between two words
What’s the Difference Between…
Family and Familiar?
Usually, talking about our families is one of the first things we learn in a different language.
- Do you have any brothers and sisters?
- Yes, I do. I have three sisters.
Family = our parents, brothers and sisters, aunts and uncles, grandparents, cousins, etc., and it is generally used as a noun.
ie: I have a big family. Where does your family live? Family is very important to me.
But, it can also be used as an adjective.
A family business, a family restaurant, a family reunion (when family gets together after a long time without seeing each other).
Check out this common mistake:
It is a familiar company. The grandfather is the boss and the employees are his grandchildren.
INCORRECT! This is a FAMILY company.
Something familiar is something you know.
ie:
Have you heard of the Tomatina festival?
– .. that sounds familiar, yes. They throw tomatoes at each other, right?I’m going to the Filmoteca tonight. Do you want to come?
– The Filmoteca? What’s that? I’m not familiar with that place.
To sum up:
- Family is a noun AND an adjective!
- Familiar is something that you know or have heard of.
Another way to say that you are or aren’t familiar with something is:
That rings a bell! (Yes, I am familiar with that. I have heard of that.)
Hmm… that doesn’t ring a bell. (No, I’m not familiar with that. This is something new to me)
