AP Spanish Families and Communities Vocabulary: Practice Test & Review
Families and Communities is one of the six AP Spanish themes, and it shows up on the exam more than almost any other. Reading passages about family structure in different Spanish-speaking countries. Audio clips about community celebrations. Free-response prompts asking you to compare how your community compares to one in the Spanish-speaking world. The vocabulary is everywhere, and it is specific.
This page has a five-set quiz that drills the vocabulary for this theme, plus a full vocabulary guide below it. The quiz covers the words and expressions that appear most often in reading passages and audio prompts. The guide organizes them by sub-category — family members, community and neighborhood, celebrations, education, and civic life — with example sentences.
Start with the evaluation set to see where you stand. You need 80% on a set to unlock the next. Progress is saved in your browser.
Vocabulary Guide
This guide organizes the vocabulary for the Families and Communities theme by sub-category. The quiz above drills the words. The guide is for review and reference.
The Theme
Families and Communities is the AP theme that covers how people live together: family structure, community relationships, celebrations that bring people together, and the civic life of a neighborhood or town. The vocabulary for this theme is concrete and daily — the words you would use to describe your own family and your own community.
The two most common sub-categories on the exam are family structure (who is who in a family) and community life (neighbors, community centers, civic participation). Celebrations and traditions appear frequently in reading passages and audio prompts about cultural practices. Civic life appears less often but is tested through reading passages about government and community institutions.
Family Members
| Spanish | English | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| los padres | parents | Plural of padre, but usually means parents, not fathers |
| el hermano / la hermana | brother / sister | |
| el medio hermano / la media hermana | half-brother / half-sister | Also hermanastro for step-sibling |
| el cuñado / la cuñada | brother-in-law / sister-in-law | |
| el suegro / la suegra | father-in-law / mother-in-law | Not to be confused with padrastro (stepfather) |
| el padrastro / la madrastra | stepfather / stepmother | |
| el sobrino / la sobrina | nephew / niece | |
| el primo / la prima | cousin | |
| el nieto / la nieta | grandson / granddaughter | |
| el bisabuelo / la bisabuela | great-grandfather / great-grandmother |
Community and Neighborhood
| Spanish | English | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| el barrio | neighborhood | |
| el vecino / la vecina | neighbor | |
| la comunidad | community | |
| el centro comunitario | community center | |
| la asamblea vecinal | neighborhood meeting | |
| el alcalde / la alcaldesa | mayor | |
| el ayuntamiento | town hall | |
| el voluntario / la voluntaria | volunteer | |
| la convivencia | coexistence, living together | |
| la solidaridad | solidarity |
Celebrations and Traditions
| Spanish | English | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| la tradición | tradition | |
| la costumbre | custom | |
| la reunión familiar | family gathering | |
| el Día de muertos | Day of the Dead | Mexican tradition honoring the deceased |
| la romería | religious pilgrimage, festival | |
| el carnaval | carnival | |
| la sobremesa | table talk after a meal | A distinctive Spanish-speaking cultural practice |
| la gratitud | gratitude |
Education and Civic Life
| Spanish | English | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| la educación | education | |
| la crianza | upbringing, child-rearing | |
| el ciudadano / la ciudadana | citizen | |
| el derecho | right | |
| el deber | duty | |
| la identidad | identity | |
| la diversidad | diversity | |
| la tolerancia | tolerance |
Fixed Expressions
| Expression | Meaning | Example |
|---|---|---|
| llevarse bien con | to get along with | Me llevo bien con mi hermana. |
| parecerse a | to resemble | Me parezco mucho a mi madre. |
| tener buena relación con | to have a good relationship with | Tengo buena relación con mis primos. |
| hacer una reunión familiar | to hold a family gathering | Hacemos una reunión familiar cada verano. |
| estar orgulloso/a de | to be proud of | Estoy orgulloso de mi familia. |
| apoyar a alguien | to support someone | Siempre apoyo a mis hermanos. |
| cuidar de | to take care of | Mi abuela cuida de sus nietos. |
Common Mistakes
Confusing padrastro with suegro.
✗ Mi padrastro es el padre de mi esposa.
✓ Mi suegro es el padre de mi esposa.
A padrastro is a stepfather. A suegro is a father-in-law.
Using “los padres” to mean “the fathers.”
✗ Los padres de Juan vinieron a la fiesta. (if you mean “Juan’s fathers”)
✓ Los padres de Juan vinieron a la fiesta. (means “Juan’s parents”)
Los padres is almost always “the parents.” For “the fathers,” say “los papás” or specify “los dos padres.”
Confusing prima with sobrina.
✗ La hija de mi tía es mi sobrina.
✓ La hija de mi tía es mi prima.
La hija de mi tía is a cousin (prima). A sobrina is your sibling’s daughter.
Confusing the forms of “años” and “aniversario.”
✗ Mis abuelos celebraron sus cincuenta años de aniversario. (awkward)
✓ Mis abuelos celebraron su cincuenta aniversario.
In Spanish, anniversaries use the cardinal number, not the ordinal: “su cincuenta aniversario,” not “su quincuagésimo aniversario.”
Quick Reference Chart
| If you want to say… | Use |
|---|---|
| Your sibling’s son | sobrino |
| Your aunt’s daughter | prima |
| Your spouse’s mother | suegra |
| Your mother’s second husband | padrastro |
| The people who live on your street | vecinos |
| The leader of your town | alcalde |
| A custom passed down through generations | tradición |
| The ability to live together in harmony | convivencia |
Two Sentences That Show the Difference
Mi suegra vive con nosotros desde el año pasado.
My mother-in-law has lived with us since last year.
Suegra is specifically a mother-in-law (your spouse’s mother), not a stepmother.
Mi madrastra se casó con mi padre cuando yo tenía diez años.
My stepmother married my father when I was ten.
Madrastra is a stepmother (your parent’s new spouse), not a mother-in-law.
La convivencia en el barrio ha mejorado desde que abrieron el centro comunitario.
Coexistence in the neighborhood has improved since they opened the community center.
Convivencia is the practice of living together — a community concept, not just a state.
La tolerancia es esencial en una sociedad diversa.
Tolerance is essential in a diverse society.
Tolerancia is an attitude, not a practice. Convivencia is what tolerance makes possible.
