essay about my family in arabic

Understanding and Talking About Family in Arabic

No matter what culture you visit, you’ll likely learn that the way other people think of family is completely different from how you do.

When you speak in your native language about your own family, you’re drawing on many years of ingrained cultural knowledge that shapes what you’re likely to share and what you’re likely to keep private. This cultural influence may even affect the way you present that knowledge.

But if you use another language to talk about your own family, like if you speak about your family in Arabic, you may sometimes find that it doesn’t quite line up. Certain phrases you expect to use aren’t there, and the person you’re speaking with may have a very different expectation of what you’re going to communicate.

All that to say: In order to take your Arabic studies to the next level, you’d better work on getting your knowledge about families in Arabic up to par.

You’ve come to the right place. In this article, you’ll read up on the following topics about family in Arabic:

• Members of the family in Arabic
• Describing your family in Arabic
• How to talk about your family in Arabic effectively
• Quotes about family in Arabic

But first, what is the family in Arabic cultures?

Table of Contents

• What a Family is in Arabic Culture
• The Nuclear Family in Arabic
• The Extended Family in Arabic
• What Marriage Does to the Words About Family
• Expressions About the Family
• How ArabicPod101 Can Teach You All You Need to Know About Arabic

1. What a Family is in Arabic Culture

Learning the words you need in a foreign language is one thing. But if you want to use them well, you’ve got to learn a little bit about the culture you’ll be in.

Although the name “Arab countries” covers quite a few very different regions , there are certain family values that tend to hold constant across the lines of culture.

People are loyal to their families in Arabic culture, thus the idea of family above all in Arabic countries. Every year during the Eid al-Fitr holiday, huge extended families unite for a celebration. Beyond just hanging out, though, people are expected to side with their families in disagreements, as well as help out family members in need, at the drop of a hat.

These connections hold strong across generations. Elders are consulted on matters large and small, and children begin imitating their parents at a young age. Children are expected to live with their parents until they start families of their own.

As you can imagine, the classical (and thus the modern standard) language has many unique terms to represent this very different way of looking at the family compared to what we’re used to in the West. Let’s begin with something not too far away.

2. The Nuclear Family in Arabic

The word أسرة ( usrah ) means your closest family, or what we often term the “immediate family” in English.

Here’s some family vocabulary Arabic people use for immediate family in Arabic-speaking countries:

Remember that you’re most often going to be speaking about your family, so here are a couple of phrases for just that.

My father is a doctor. أبي طبيب ʾabī ṭabīb

My sister is married. أختي متزوجة ʾuḫtī mutazawwiǧah

Like most languages, including English, there are formal and informal ways to say “father” and “mother” in Arabic. In English, this is like “father” compared to “papa.”

Where’s my mom? أين أمي؟ ʾayna ʾummī?

My dad is really tall! أبي طويل جدا! ʾabī ṭawīlun ǧiddan!

The word for “parent” is والد ( walid ), which can, of course, be used in the singular, though it’s far more common to see it in the dual form: والدان.

My parents live in Cairo . والداي يعيشان في القاهرة walidāy yaʿīšān fī al-qāhirah

Arabic normally doesn’t distinguish between older and younger siblings, unlike some Asian languages which have separate words for “younger sister” and “older sister.” So just like in English, you’d add the specific age words to be more clear.

For “older” use الاكبر, and for “younger” use الاصغر.

My older brother is shorter than me. أخي الأكبر أقصر مني ʾaḫī al-ʾakbar ʾaqṣaru minnī

My younger sister is smart. أختي الصغرى ذكية ʾuḫtī al-ṣuġrā ḏakyyah

3. The Extended Family in Arabic

So that about covers it for the people you grow up around. How about the عائلة ( ʿāʾilah ), the “extended family?”

The best way to explain it all is in another chart. Although Arabic doesn’t make that older/younger distinction, there is a difference between maternal and paternal aunts/uncles (though not grandparents). On the whole, though, it’s not too many Family in Arabic words to memorize.

As you can see, there are a number of patterns that start to become apparent pretty quickly. To go a little bit deeper, we can distinguish between male and female cousins by adding the word إبن ( ibn ) for men and بنت ( bint ) for women. Check it out.

My (female) cousin lives with her parents. إبنة عمي تعيش مع والديها ʾibnatu ʿammī taʿīšu maʿ waldayhā

I like to work out with my (male) cousin. أحب ممارسة الرياضة مع إبن عمي ʾuḥibbu mumārasatu al-riyāḍah maʿ ʾibn ʿammī

4. What Marriage Does to the Words About Family

Have you ever been to an Arab wedding , or at least seen videos? They’re big deals, full of formality and tradition.

It’s no wonder that the Arabic language would not only have many specialized words for the marriage ceremonies, but also that the way people refer to each other before and after marriage might change too.

Leading up to the wedding, we have:

In many more conservative families, the relationship tends to progress immediately from “friend” to “fiancé.” However, in others, there’s space for the Western habit of having a relationship first.

After the wedding festivities end?

Well, there’s no neutral word for “spouse” in Arabic. One must either say زوجة ( zawǧah ) for “wife” or زوج ( zawǧ ) for “husband.”

Traditionally, a bride will move in with the husband’s family after marriage, and the parents of both the bride and the groom maintain close contact. The families are wed, not just the individuals; essentially, you’ve become a joint family in Arabic culture. Therefore, there’s a whole set of vocabulary in this sphere. Time for another quick chart.

5. Expressions About the Family

And now for something that I think sheds more light on family relations in Arabic than anything else: idioms and sayings related to family life. This is a fun and insightful way of describing family in Arabic.

• الأقربون أولى بالمعروف Your relatives (in need) are more deserving of your generosity. (Family before friends.)

The concept of “brotherhood” or الأخوة ( al-ʾuḫuwwah ) is something that you see over and over in traditional Arabic teachings.

• I and my brother against my cousin, I and my cousin against a stranger. أنا وأخي على إبن عمي وأنا وإبن عمي على الغريب ʾnā waʾaḫī ʿalā ʾibn ʿammī waʾanā waʾibnu ʿammī ʿalā al-ġarīb
• Without a brother, you’re like a person rushing to battle without a weapon. إن مَنْ لا أخا له كَساعٍ إلى المعركة بغير سلاح ʾinna man lā ʾaḫā lahu kasāʿin ʾilā al-maʿrakah biġayri silāḥ
• Your brother is who’s honest with you, not who believes you. أخوك من صَدَقك لا من صدّقك ʾaḫūka man ṣadaqaka lā man ṣaddaqak

And finally, the love between a parent and child is eternal, a concept found in every language. Here’s what people say about that in Arabic:

• When your son grows up, become his brother. إن كبر ابنك آخيه ʾin kabura ibnuka ʾāḫīh

And the Egyptian saying:

• Only your grandchild is dearer to you than your child. أعز من الولد ولد الولد ʾaʿaz min el-weld weld el-weld

6. How ArabicPod101 Can Teach You All You Need to Know About Arabic

Really, when it comes to something as important as family in Arabic, you can’t treat it with enough respect.

On the one hand, Arabs are famously welcoming to foreigners and will tend to let even relatively big language slip-ups slide as long as it’s clear that respect was intended.

But on the other hand, as I mentioned, family is such an important part of any culture that if it becomes clear you’re not making any effort to understand its significance, well, woe betide you.

I can’t help you be better at respecting things—but I can give you advice about learning things. And one of the best ways to make these particular vocabulary words stick is to find a nice long Arabic TV series and watch a couple dozen episodes.

There are a number of thirty-episode Ramadan specials filmed in Modern Standard Arabic that have enough family schemes and betrayals to make sure you’ll never forget the words .

When you get to that point, your Arabic family will welcome you with open arms.

But for now, we hope that this article on family in Arabic proved helpful to you. Did you learn anything interesting about the Arab family culture? Let us know in the comments! And while you’re at it, why not practice describing family in Arabic writing by writing us a family paragraph in Arabic? We look forward to hearing what you have to say.

Also visit ArabicPod101.com to learn more about Arab culture and additional vocabulary . You can also take advantage of our MyTeacher program by upgrading to Premium Plus, so that you can learn Arabic with your own personal teacher!

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LEARNING ARABIC WITH ANGELA

• LearningArabicWithAngela
• May 16, 2020

"My Family", Family Members in Arabic

Free story ebook, instant pdf download + youtube video. learn about family members in arabic..

Learn about the names of family members in Arabic language.

First watch the video, and then download the eBook. This video is about the family tree in Arabic, including vocabulary like maternal / paternal aunt, uncle, and cousin, brother in law, sister in law, father in law, mother in law...

https://youtu.be/GFx8VRLY0fs

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*Have you seen my 1 hour long mini-crash-course in Arabic grammar and comprehension, taught through a short story? (check out the entire playlist for more!)

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Answer to question 1: (Definite is underlined, indefinite is in bold)

الطَّقْسُ جَميلٌ .

[Attaqsu jamiīlun.] The weather is beautiful.

البَيْتُ كَبيرٌ .

[Al-baytu kabīrun.] The house is big.

أَحْمَدُ طالِبٌ مُجْتَهِدٌ .

[Aḩmadu ţālibun mujtahidun.] Ahmad is a hard working student.

أُحِبُّ القِراءَةَ .

[ʼU ḩibbu al-qir āʼata.] I love reading.

• Vocabulary and Conversation

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Thanks a lot, I got it.

Hi Afzal, just click on the link provided where it says "Click here to download the free printable lesson ebook" and from the top right choose direct download from options. I just verified the link and it's working. Hope this helps. 😊

Hi dear Angela; hope you are fine. I am trying to get a print out of the e-book in PDF but it does not work out. Please guide me how to print it.

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• Everyday Arabic

10 Useful Arabic Phrases to Talk about Family and Relationships

• By Dania Ghraoui

August 23, 2023

Importance of talking about family and relationships in Arabic

One of the most important topics in any language is family and relationships. You talk about family and relationships when meeting new people, catching up with friends, or simply making small talk. That is why knowing how to talk about family members and relationships in Arabic is essential. It is one of the key small talk topics to use in social gatherings. (Read our full blog on Small Talk in Arabic and learn 10 important phrases on different topics here ) 

So today, we are going to look at different Arabic phrases that will enrich your daily conversations. They include questions to enquire about family and start the conversation and sentences that you can use to answer questions about family and introduce these close relations. You can also use them to share updates about your family or express your views when it comes to family and build up deeper conversations.

So, are you ready to add the depth and warmth of family to your conversations?

1. كيفَ حالُ أُسْرَتكَ؟

– Kyfa ḥālu usratka? (How’s your family?)

A great way to initiate conversation and show interest in someone’s life is by asking about their family. You can use the phrase “كيف حال أسرتك؟”, which means “How is your family?” This question is suitable for both formal and informal settings and can lead to further discussions about family members and their well-being.

2. عَائِلتي كَبيرة

– ʻĀʼilty kabyrah (My family is big)

If someone asks about your family, you might want to share how big or small it is. To say that your family is big, use the phrase “عائلتي كبيرة”. This can prompt further conversations about the number of siblings, parents, or other relatives you have.

3. هل لَديكَ إخوة أو أخَوات؟

– Hal ladyka ikhwah aw akhawāt? (Do you have brothers or sisters?)

4. لَديَّ أَخٌ واحِدٌ وأُختين

– Ladyya akhun wāḥidun wʼukhtyn (I have one brother and two sisters.)

Inquiring about siblings is a common topic of conversation, and you can ask someone if they have any brothers or sisters with the phrase “هل لديك إخوة أو أخوات؟”. To respond, you might say, “لدي أخ واحد وأختين”, which means “I have one brother and two sisters.”

5. هذا اِبني الصَّغير

– Hādhā ibny alṣṣaghyr (This is my young son.)

6. هَذِهِ ابْنَتي الكُبرى

– Hadhihi abnaty alkubrá (This is my eldest daugher.)

When introducing your children to others, you can use phrases like “هذا ابني الصغير”, meaning “This is my young son,” or “هذه ابنتي الكبرى”, meaning “This is my eldest daughter.” These phrases provide a simple yet effective way to share information about your children and their age or birth order.

7. أُحِبُّ أُمِّي كَثيرًا

– Uḥibbu ummī kathyran (I love my mother very much.)

It’s essential to express love and appreciation for family members, and the phrase “أحب أمي كثيراً” is a heartfelt way to say, “I love my mother very much.” Feel free to replace “أمي” with other family members like “أبي” for “my father” or “أخي” for “my brother.”

8. الأسرة هي المكان الذي تشعر فيه بالرّاحة

– al-Usrah hiya al-makān alladhī tshʻr fīhi bālrrāḥh (Family is the place where you feel comfortable)

When discussing the significance of family, you can use the phrase “الأسرة هي المكان الذي تشعر فيه بالرّاحة”, which means “Family is the place where you feel comfortable.” This phrase emphasizes the importance of a supportive and nurturing environment within the family.

9. أخي المُفَضّل أكبرُ مِنّي عُمْرًا

– Akhī almufaḍḍl akbru minny ʻumran (My favorite brother is older than me.)

Sharing details about your relationship with your siblings can bring about interesting conversations. You can use the phrase “أخي المفضل هو أكبر مني” to say, “My favorite brother is older than me.”

10. الزّواجُ مسؤوليّةٌ كبيرةٌ

– Alzzwāju msʼwlyytun kbyrtun (Marriage is a big responsibility.)

Marriage is a significant life event and a critical topic in conversations about family and relationships. To express the responsibility and commitment that come with marriage, use the phrase “الزّواج مسؤوليّةٌ كبيرةٌ”, which means “Marriage is a big responsibility.” This can lead to deeper discussions about values, traditions, and the challenges and joys of married life.

Real-life Scenarios

Now, we are going to see how you can use these Arabic phrases in real-life scenarios. Below we have two scenarios. In the first, two friends are catching up and checking on each other’s families. In the second, two people are making small talk about family in a gathering with a colleague. Pay close attention to how the new phrases you learned are used and their right context.

1. Catching Up with an Old Friend

Friend: مرحباً! كيف حال أسرتك؟

(Hello! How is your family?)

You: الجميع بخير، شكرًا لسؤالك. عائلتي كبيرة. ماذا عن عائلتك؟ هل لديك إخوة أو أخوات؟

(Everyone is well, thank you for asking. My family is big. How about your family? Do you have brothers or sisters?)

Friend: نعم، لديّ أخٌ واحدٌ وأختين. نحن نقضي وقتًا طيّبًا معًا.

(Yes, I have one brother and two sisters. We have a great time together.)

2. Meeting a Colleague’s Family at a Gathering

Host: مرحبًا بك في منزلنا! هذا ابني الصّغير.

(Welcome to our home! This is my young son.)

You: ما شاء الله! يبدو رائعًا. سأعرّفك على ابنتي الكبرى.

(Masha’Allah! He looks great. Let me introduce you to my eldest daughter.)

Host: يسعدنا لقاءكم! الأسرة هي المكان الذي نجد فيه الدّعم والراحة. نأمل أن تشعروا بالترحيب هنا في منزلنا.

(We’re happy to meet you! Family is where we find support and comfort. We hope you feel welcome here in our home.)

Conclusion: Arabic Culture and Talking about Family

In Arabic culture, like so many cultures, family is valuable, and talking about this topic is common and welcome, especially among friends. It shows care and interest in other people and encourages further conversation. The Arabic phrases related to family and relationships we learned in this blog are just the tip of the iceberg when it comes to the rich and diverse Arabic language. 

We encourage you to learn and use these phrases, so you can foster stronger connections with Arabic-speaking friends, family members, or acquaintances, while also gaining a deeper understanding of the cultural values that form the basis of these relationships. 

Further Practice

If you start using these phrases in your conversations today, you’ll soon find that discussing family and relationships in Arabic can be a rewarding and fulfilling experience. It will give you confidence and help you strengthen your relations. 

To help you have further practice, we have for you a Quiz that will allow you to check your understanding of the new phrases you learned from this article.

Finally, we would also like to remind you to check our special Planner that you can use to speed up your learning journey. This planner features a rich 30-page worksheet accompanied by over 200 practical exercises and activities. It serves as an effective tool to reinforce your acquired knowledge and newly learned language and propel your learning journey with plenty of practice opportunities.

Dania Ghraoui

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Family In Arabic (Complete Family Members Vocabulary List)

In this lesson, You will be learning the basic vocabulary of the family in Arabic. You will learn for instance how to say words like mother and father, brother and sister, and more family members in Arabic language.

These vocabulary lists cover the immediate family, extended family, specific words for steps and in-laws as well as words concerning adoption, family trees and genealogy.

How Do You Say Family in Arabic?

The Arabic word for family is “الأسرة or العائلة” (pronounced as “al’usra” or “al-Aa’ila”).

The Nuclear Family in Arabic

In Arabic, the word أسرة (usrah) means your closest family, or what we often term the “immediate family” in English. Learning how to describe it is important for basic conversations. That’s why we’ll teach you crucial words like Mother, Father, Brother, Sister, Daughter and Son in Arabic.

English       Arabic     Transliteration

• Brother             أخ         akh
• Sister              أخت               ukhuy
• Mother              أم               um
• Father              أب               abb
• Son              إبن               ibn
• Daughter              إبنة     ibnah

Extended Family in Arabic

Of course, most families are bigger than that. You might want to talk about your third cousins and your great great grandmother in Arabic, too. The following is a list of extended family members in Arabic.

English       Arabic         Transliteration

• Grandfather            جد         jad
• Grandmother          جدة       jadddah
• Grandson        حفيد               ḥafīd
• Granddaughter       حفيدة   ḥafīdah
• Paternal Uncle       عم                 amm
• Paternal Aunt            عمة         ammah
• Maternal Uncle          خال       khal
• Maternal Aunt              خالة       khalah
• Cousin on Father’s Side         إبن عم / إبن عمة         ibn amm / ibn ammah
• Cousin on Mother’s Side    إبن خال / إبن خالة         ibn khal / ibn khalah
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Arabic vocabulary for the in-laws and step family

• Son-in-law    زوج البنت     zawj al-bint
• Daughter-in-law         زوجة الإبن         zawjatu al-ʾibn
• Father-in-law            حمى       ḥamā
• Mother-in-law         حماة         ḥamāh
• Brother-in-law          أخ الزوج (ة          akh al-zawj(ah)
• Sister-in-law          أخت الزوج( ة          ʾukht al-zawj(ah)
• niece                ابنة اخ /اخت             ibnat akh/ukht
• nephew          ابن اخ /اخت         ibn akh/ukht

Relationships In Arabic

English           Arabic             Pronunciation

• Boyfriend         شريك           sharīk
• Girlfriend          شريكة           šharīkah
• Fiancé              خطيب               khatib
• Fianceé        خطيبة           kḫaṭībah
• Groom              عريس               ʿarīs
• Bride              عروسة             ʿarusah
• Partner        رفيق/ رفيقة       rafeeq/rafeeqa  
• stepmother     زوجة الاب       zawjat al-ab
• stepfather       زوج الأم           zawj al-umm
• grandchildren      أحفاد       aHfaad
• grandparents     جدوجدة     jadd wa-jadda
• parents        والدان       waalidaan
• children        اطفال       children
• relatives       اقارب       aqaarib
• generation    جيل         generation
• twins          توئم           twins
• Single        أعزب       A’zb
• Married     متزوج   Mutazawj
• Divorced   مطلق     Muttlq
• Separated    منفصل     Munfasl
• Widow       أرملة       Armlah
• Widower     أرمل     Armal

Stages in Arabic

• stages          مراحل       maraaHil
• baby           رضيع           raDeeA
• child            طفل             Tifl
• boy              ولد           walad
• girl              بنت           bint
• teenager      مراهق     muraaHiq
• adult        بالغ         adult
• man         رجل     rajul
• woman     امرأة     imra’a

Introduce Family in Arabic

The following list of short phrases can come in handy for introducing family members in social situations.

• This is my father Umar he is engineer.   هذا والدي عمر هو مهندس  
• This is my mother Aisha she is a teacher.  هذه والدتي عائشة هي معلمة  
• This is my brother Ahmad he is a student.  هذا أخي أحمد وهو طالب  
• This is my sister Fatima she is also a student.  هذه اختي فاطمة وهي طالبة ايضا  
• This is my grandma هذه جدتي  
• This is my grandpa  هذا جدي  

5 Sentences About My Family in Arabic

Here is how to write sentences about your family in Arabic with translation in English 

• عائلتي تتكون من اخوين واختان. نحن لسنا عائلة كبيرة ولكن نحن عائلة سعيدة. والدي يعمل في احدى اكبر شركات الاتصالات، و والدتي هي معلمة رياضيات. اخي الاكبر عمره 29 سنة. هو متزوج ولديه طفلان. اخي الاصغر في الكلية، ويدرس برمجة الكمبيوتر .
• اختي الكبيرة متزوجة، وهي ايضاً لديها بنتان جميلاتاً. واحدة عمرها 4 سنوت والاخرى 8 سنوات. اختي الصغرى هي صديقتي المفضلة، نحن نقضي معظم وقتنا سويتاً ندرس ونقوم بعمل واجباتنا. عندما يكون لدينا وقت فراغ نحب ان نلعب بالعاب الكمبيوتر. انا سعيدة مع عائلتي طوال الوقت.

Translation In English

• My family consist of two brothers and two sisters. We are not a big family but we are happy family. My father works for one of the largest companies for telecom, and my mother is a math teacher. My oldest brother is 29 years old. He is married and has two kids. My younger brother is in college, he studies computer programming.
• My older sister is married, and she also has two beautiful daughters. one is 4 years  old and the other one is 8 years old. my younger sister is my best friend, we spend most of the time together studying and doing homework. When we have free time we like to play computer games. I am happy with my family all the time.

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BLOG / Arabic

Family In Arabic: List Of Immediate & Extended Family Members

Today we’re going to be looking at family members ( أفراد الأسرة ) in Arabic.

Family is at the heart of Arabic-speaking society, and it is a very common topic of conversation. This is because Arab culture greatly respects the family and the bonds among relatives.

Who are your family members? How many are there, and what do they do?

These are some of the first questions you may be asked when meeting and getting to know a native Arabic speaker. Whether someone is talking about their family or asking you about yours, you’ll need to learn the right vocabulary words to hold a conversation. Once you learn the right words and questions to describe and ask about someone’s family, you'll be able to hold a basic conversation even if your grammar isn't great.

In this article, we’re going to give you a complete list of family members in Arabic and how to pronounce each one.

Let’s start off with the immediate family.

Note: The number "3" is used to represent the letter ( ع / ʿayn) in the Arabic alphabet .

Immediate family members

Before we get into the names of immediate family members in Arabic, let’s first look at the Arabic term for family:

Aileh is usually used for immediate family members.

Extended family members

If you want to discuss your extended family, you can use the word:

The word akareb here means relatives, or at least the word is the closest English equivalent.

Spouses & in-laws

Now let’s look at which words to use when speaking about spouses and in-laws.

Common questions you'll receive about your family in Arabic

Lastly, here are some questions someone might use to ask about your own family or ones you can ask someone to get to know more about their family.

We’ve reached the end of our list.

If you’d like to learn more about family members in Arabic or want to learn to speak in Arabic dialects like Egyptian, Levantine, Saudi, Iraqi, Sudanese, Moroccan, Tunisian, or even Algerian, then you’ve come to the right place.

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With our high-quality resources, we've made it simpler than ever to learn the language, so that you'll be speaking Arabic in no time. Once you’re a member, you will have access to a wide variety of lessons, modules, and HD videos.

Our resources are regularly updated to make sure that you always have the best materials to help you learn Arabic anywhere, anytime.

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Lesson 11- الدَّرْسُ الْحَادِيَ عَشَرَ

Pronouns with nouns and prepositions - الضَّمَائِرُ مَعَ الأَسْمَاءِ وحُرُوفِ الْجَرِّ.

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Words for My Family in Arabic

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Family and Relationships in Arabic

Family and Relationships in Arabic: Learn the Vocabulary and Phrases for Non-Arabic Speakers

Family is an important aspect of Arabic culture, and learning the vocabulary and phrases associated with family and relationships is essential for communicating effectively with Arabic speakers. In this blog post, we will introduce you to some of the most common Arabic words and phrases related to family and relationships.

• Ahl (أهل) Ahl means “family” in Arabic. This term is used to refer to your immediate family members, such as your parents, siblings, and children.
• Waalid (والد) and Waalida (والدة) Waalid and Waalida are the Arabic words for “father” and “mother,” respectively. These terms are used to refer to your own parents, as well as other people’s parents.
• Ikhwah (إخوة) and Akhawat (أخوات) Ikhwah and Akhawat are the Arabic words for “ brothers ” and “ sisters ,” respectively. These terms are used to refer to your own siblings, as well as other people’s siblings.
• Zawj (زوج) and Zawja (زوجة) Zawj and Zawja are the Arabic words for “ husband ” and “ wife ,” respectively. These terms are used to refer to your own spouse, as well as other people’s spouses.
• Abnaa (ابناء) and Banaat (بنات) Abnaa and Banaat are the Arabic words for “ sons ” and “ daughters ,” respectively. These terms are used to refer to your own children, as well as other people’s children.
• Habibi (حبيبي) and Habibti (حبيبتي) Habibi and Habibti are terms of endearment that mean “ my love ” or “ my darling. ” These terms can be used to refer to a romantic partner, as well as family members or close friends.
• Khala (خالة), Khal (خال), Amm (عم), Amma (عمة) Khala, Khal, Amma, and Amm are the Arabic words for “aunt” and “uncle,” respectively. These terms are used to refer to your parents’ siblings, as well as their spouses. Basically Khala is used for your maternal aunt , Khal is used for your maternal uncle , Amma is used for your paternal Aunt , and Amm is used for your paternal uncle .
• Jadd (جد) and Jadda (جدة) Jadd and Jadda are the Arabic words for “ grandfather ” and “ grandmother ,” respectively. These terms are used to refer to your parents’ parents.
• Ibn al-‘am (ابن العم) and Bint al-‘am (بنت العم) Ibn al-‘am and Bint al-‘am are the Arabic words for “ cousin ” (male and female, respectively). These terms are used to refer to the children of your paternal uncles.
• Ibn al-khal (ابن الخال) and Bint al-khal (بنت الخال) Ibn al-khal and Bint alkhal are the Arabic words for “ cousin ” (male and female, respectively). These terms are used to refer to the children of your maternal uncles.
• Rabb (رب) and Rabbah (ربة) Rabb and Rabbah are the Arabic words for “ master ” and “ mistress ,” respectively. These terms can be used to refer to the head of a household or family, such as a father or mother. So they can usually be called Rabbo Al-‘aela (رب العائلة) meaning the “Master of the Family”, and Rabboto Al-‘aela (ربة العائلة) meaning the “Master of the Family” (feminine), Rabbo Al-manzel (رب المنزل) meaning the “Master of the House” and Rabbato Al-manzel (ربة المنزل) meaning the “Master of the House” (feminine), Rabbo Al-bayt (رب البيت) meanıng “Householder” and Rabboto Al-bayt (ربة البيت) (feminine).

Learning these basic Arabic words and phrases related to family and relationships will help you to communicate more effectively with Arabic speakers. It is important to remember that Arabic culture places a strong emphasis on family and community, and using these terms correctly can show respect and build strong relationships with Arabic speakers.

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Related Articles

Essential arabic greetings for non-arabic speakers, weekdays in arabic, basic arabic words for beginners, arabic alphabet in details, previous article.

Family members in Arabic

Wondering how to say aunt or cousin in Arabic? In today’s post you will learn learn how to name your family members in Arabic and you will learn all the important Arabic words related to family.

Check out our other  Arabic Vocabulary Lists .

Today you will learn:

How to say family in Arabic?

In Arabic, there is more than one word corresponding to the word family. Here you will find the three most popular words:

الأسرة ليست شيئًا مهمًا. إنها كل شيء Family is not an important thing. It’s everything.

• عائلة – family in general – (3aaila)
• أُسْرة – the closest family (mother, father, children) – (usra)
• أَهْل – general – (ahl)

Family members أفْرادُ الأُسْرة – afraadu al-usra

If you don’t know the Arabic alphabet yet check our post Arabic alphabet – All you need to know to write in Arabic

If you are building your basic Arabic vocabulary check out basic Arabic adjectives , common Arabic verbs , and Arabic prepositions . You can find full list of subjects here: Arabic Vocabulary Lists

Basic family members in Arabic

Other family members- how to say aunt in arabic, cousins in arabic, in-laws in arabic, other vocabulary related to family.

Family members in Arabic Quiz

Quizzes are a great tool to practice your vocabulary. All the Arabic vocabulary lists on our website contain quizzes at the end of each lesson, to help you remember newly learned words. To check more Arabic Quizzes go to -> Selfarabic – Arabic Vocabulary Quizzes

Check if you know Arabic vocabulary related to family. 

With our quiz Family members in Arabic  you will check how well you know Arabic vocabulary from this category. 

Your answer:

Correct answer:

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Learn the names of family members in Arabic from the Arabic cartoon .

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2.1 Vocabulary on family

In this section

• I can introduce my extended family in Arabic and distinguish between the paternal and maternal terms.
• I can ask and answer and engage in conversation around family members.

Listen to new vocabulary related to family in the following recording and repeat as you follow along in the list of words underneath. Listen as many times for fluency.

Study the following vocabulary list on family terms.

Now Watch the video and identify the family vocabulary

Key Takeaways

• You can now distinguish between relatives from the father and mother sides.
• You can see that the word “cousin” has eight equivalents in Arabic.

Elementary Arabic II Copyright © 2021 by Ayman Mohamed and Sadam Issa is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International License , except where otherwise noted.

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Family Vocabulary in Arabic Posted by aziza on Mar 8, 2009 in Vocabulary

Terms used to express family relations in Arabic are more explicit than in English. This may reflect the importance of family and relations in the Arabic society. An example of the more explicit family relations terms in Arabic is that the term ‘uncle’ in English has 2 Arabic terms distinguishing ‘maternal uncle’ ( خال ) and ‘paternal uncle” ( عم ). Interestingly, the word ‘cousin’ in English has 8 equivalent terms in Arabic, distinguishing the gender of both the cousin and the uncle and the family link maternal or paternal. The Arabic equivalents of ‘cousin’ are ( ابن عم / بنت عم / ابن خال / بنت خال / ابن عمة / بنت عمة / ابن خالة / بنت خالة ).

The following table gives some family relations terms and their English equivalents.

Build vocabulary, practice pronunciation, and more with Transparent Language Online. Available anytime, anywhere, on any device.

grandson=hafeed;grand daughter=hafeedah.

شكراً جزيلاً table updated!

What about the wife of your maternal uncle. Is it khala or zowjat khal?

Ahlan Elizabeth, Wife of maternal uncle is زوجة خال

can anyone help me with finding out how little sister is written in arabic?

@Victoria Hi Victoria, little sister is أخت صغيرة my little sister is أختي الصغيرة Salaam, Aziza

I’m trying to fnid the term for mother-in-law as in, “mother of my wife”. Is it different from mart’amo, which is what I call my husband’s mother?

@Nizumi mother-in-law = حماة

Ali Asghar:

i need to know what you call husband of your daughter in arabic

@Ali Asghar husband = زوج daughter = بنت

what you call husband of daughter in arabic

heyy!! how do you say my mother’s paternal aunt, my mother’s male paternal cousin; etc in arabic? thanks!

@Elif Su my mother’s paternal aunt = عمة أمي my mother’s male paternal cousin = ابن عم أمي

could you please tell me what mum, dad, big brother and family is in arabic writing and how to pronouce the name

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_Go_5OSUDFc&list=PL78E48E5121C1354E&index=2&feature=plpp_video

Another listing:

Family Members in Arabic http://www.italki.com/groups/563/topic/30036.htm

Ahlan! I noticed on the vocabulary word of the day for 10-12-2012 ( http://www.transparent.com/word-of-the-day/today/arabic.html?utm_campaign=wordoftheday&utm_medium=email&utm_source=bluehornet&utm_content=arabic&date=10-12-2012 )

the distinction of which side of the family ‘ammah’ is referring to, in this case the father’s side or paternal, is missing.

I also found another listing, but have compared it to that above, yet:

Shukran Jazeelan!

Ma’a salaamah.

I know that to say ‘my’ something you have to add on ي at the end but how do you say ‘my’ father in law because I don’t know if you can add ي to و , so I’m confused.

shucron jazlin lil hata site!. It has helped with my study of Arabic. Is it posible, that you post yhe next w Ones with the vowels? Shucron jazilan…

Pls Aziz how do I call my father younger sister in Arabic,; pls reply through my E-mail

Can u please write the Arabic words used for Paternal grandmother Maternal grandmother Maternal uncle Paternal uncle Paternal aunt The pronunciation of these words ,please do it roman English Sorry for the inconvenience

Hi! I’m hoping someone could tell me how to write, “we are going to be great-grandparents!”

I’m pregnant and would like to leave a note for my grandparents to read out loud to my aunts, uncles, and cousins. I’d ask my father, but I’d be giving away the suprise 🙂

Mrs. Saddam:

Can i know how to tell these in arabic 1. My husband’s sister 2. My brother’s wife 3. My husband’s brother 4. My husband’s brother’s wife 5. My husband’s sisters husband

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How to Say “How is Your Family?” in Arabic: A Comprehensive Guide

In Arabic culture, showing concern for others’ families is highly valued, and asking about someone’s family is a common way to express care and build connections. Whether it’s in a formal or informal setting, knowing how to ask “How is your family?” in Arabic will demonstrate your interest and respectful communication. In this guide, we will cover various ways to ask this question, provide regional variations where necessary, and offer tips and examples to help you understand the nuances of expressing your inquiry.

Formal Ways to Ask “How is Your Family?”

Formality is an important factor when addressing someone in Arabic. In formal situations, such as speaking to someone older or in a professional setting, you should use these phrases:

• “Kaifa halu ahluka?” (How is your family?)
• “Kaifa halu ahluka alkarima?” (How is your honorable family?)

These phrases are respectful and appropriate for formal conversations. Keep in mind that Arabic culture emphasizes politeness, so using these phrases shows your adherence to cultural norms.

Informal Ways to Ask “How is Your Family?”

In informal or casual settings, such as speaking to friends or peers, you can use these expressions:

• “Akhbar ahluka?” (News about your family?)
• “Shlon ahluka?” (How is your family?)

These phrases are more relaxed and suitable for casual conversations among friends or acquaintances. The choice of the appropriate phrase depends on your relationship with the person you’re addressing.

Regional Variations

Arabic is a rich language with many regional variations. While the phrases mentioned earlier are widely understood throughout the Arab world, specific regions may have their own unique expressions for inquiring about someone’s family. Here are a few examples:

Gulf Arabic:

In Gulf Arabic, you may use the question:

“Ashkara familyak/5alik?” (How is your family?)

Levantine Arabic:

In Levantine Arabic, you can say:

“Shlon ahlak/ahlek?” (How is your family?)

Moroccan Arabic:

In Moroccan Arabic, you may ask:

“Kifash l-familya dyalk/ dyalkum?” (How is your family?)

These regional variations reflect the diversity of the Arabic language and show the importance of adapting your language to the specific region or dialect you are interacting with.

Tips and Examples

Now, let’s dive deeper into some useful tips and examples to help you fully understand the nuances of expressing your inquiry about someone’s family in Arabic:

Tip 1: Consider the context and relationship:

Before asking about someone’s family, assess the context and the relationship you have with the person. Adjust the level of formality and choose the appropriate expression accordingly.

Example 1: If you are meeting a friend’s parent for the first time, you should use a formal expression like “Kaifa halu ahluka?” to show respect.

Example 2: For a close friend, you can use the more casual expression “Akhbar ahluka?” to inquire about their family’s well-being.

Tip 2: Use appropriate greetings:

When asking about someone’s family, it is common to begin with a warm greeting. These greetings demonstrate warmth and respect:

• “Assalamu alaykum” (Peace be upon you)
• “Marhaba” (Hello)

By incorporating appropriate greetings, your inquiry will be received with even more appreciation.

Tip 3: Show genuine interest:

Expressing your genuine interest in the well-being of someone’s family is crucial. Inquire about specific family members, ask follow-up questions, and engage in meaningful conversation to convey your sincere concern.

Example: After asking “How is your family?”, you can ask about individual family members like “How is your mother? How is your brother?” This shows your attentiveness and care.

Tip 4: Be prepared to reciprocate:

When asking about someone’s family, be prepared for the possibility of getting asked the same question in return. Take this opportunity to share information about your own family, fostering a sense of mutual understanding and connection.

Example: If someone responds to your inquiry with “My family is doing well, thank you. How is your family?”, you can respond by saying, “My family is also doing well. Thank you for asking.”

Tip 5: Cultural awareness:

Understanding Arabic culture and traditions is essential for effective communication. Embrace cultural norms such as showing respect to elders, using appropriate greetings, and expressing genuine interest in order to strengthen your relationships.

Example: When talking to someone older, you can add the honorific “Sheikh” or “Hajj” before the expression to show respect. For instance, “Sheikh, kaifa halu ahluka?” (Sheikh, how is your family?)

By applying these tips and examples, you will navigate the intricacies of asking about someone’s family in Arabic with confidence and cultural sensitivity.

Remember, understanding regional variations, adapting to the context, and showing genuine interest are essential to building meaningful connections and fostering positive relationships in Arabic-speaking communities.

Now, armed with the knowledge of expressing this question appropriately, go ahead and embrace the beauty of the Arabic language by asking, “How is your family?” in a way that showcases your warmth and respect!

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How to Talk About Your Family Background in an Interview

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How to Talk About Your Family in an Interview: Tips, Examples, and Regional Variations

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When you attend a job interview, it's natural for the interviewer to ask questions about your background and personal life. One common topic that often comes up is your family. This question allows the interviewer to get to know you better and understand your values, responsibilities, and priorities. In this guide, we'll provide you with tips and examples on how to discuss your family in both formal and informal ways during an interview.

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Experiencing the loss of a loved one is a difficult and emotional time. When it comes to sharing this news with others, finding the right words can be challenging. In this guide, we will provide you with tips, examples, and variations to help you express and communicate a death in the family.

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Sign language is a fascinating form of communication that is primarily used by individuals who are deaf or hard of hearing. It has its own vocabulary and grammar structure, making it unique and diverse across different regions. If you are looking to learn how to say "family" in sign language, this guide will provide you with everything you need to know. We'll cover formal and informal ways of signing "family" with relevant tips, examples, and appropriate regional variations.

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When it comes to addressing family members with a plural last name, understanding the correct way to formulate it can sometimes be confusing. Whether you're in a formal or informal setting, it's important to know how to properly say a family last name in the plural form. This guide will provide you with useful tips, examples, and variations, helping you navigate this linguistic challenge with confidence.

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The South Indian phrase - “ninnade kaNugalu tuppuko.” is wrong. “tuppuko” is not a word in kannada. Informally, we’d say…

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Essay about Family: What It Is and How to Nail It

Humans naturally seek belonging within families, finding comfort in knowing someone always cares. Yet, families can also stir up insecurities and mental health struggles.

Family dynamics continue to intrigue researchers across different fields. Every year, new studies explore how these relationships shape our minds and emotions.

In this article, our dissertation service will guide you through writing a family essay. You can also dive into our list of topics for inspiration and explore some standout examples to spark your creativity.

What is Family Essay

A family essay takes a close look at the bonds and experiences within families. It's a common academic assignment, especially in subjects like sociology, psychology, and literature.

So, what's involved exactly? Simply put, it's an exploration of what family signifies to you. You might reflect on cherished family memories or contemplate the portrayal of families in various media.

What sets a family essay apart is its personal touch. It allows you to express your own thoughts and experiences. Moreover, it's versatile – you can analyze family dynamics, reminisce about family customs, or explore other facets of familial life.

If you're feeling uncertain about how to write an essay about family, don't worry; you can explore different perspectives and select topics that resonate with various aspects of family life.

Tips For Writing An Essay On Family Topics

A family essay typically follows a free-form style, unless specified otherwise, and adheres to the classic 5-paragraph structure. As you jot down your thoughts, aim to infuse your essay with inspiration and the essence of creative writing, unless your family essay topics lean towards complexity or science.

Here are some easy-to-follow tips from our essay service experts:

• Focus on a Specific Aspect: Instead of a broad overview, delve into a specific angle that piques your interest, such as exploring how birth order influences sibling dynamics or examining the evolving role of grandparents in modern families.
• Share Personal Anecdotes: Start your family essay introduction with a personal touch by sharing stories from your own experiences. Whether it's about a favorite tradition, a special trip, or a tough time, these stories make your writing more interesting.
• Use Real-life Examples: Illustrate your points with concrete examples or anecdotes. Draw from sources like movies, books, historical events, or personal interviews to bring your ideas to life.
• Explore Cultural Diversity: Consider the diverse array of family structures across different cultures. Compare traditional values, extended family systems, or the unique hurdles faced by multicultural families.
• Take a Stance: Engage with contentious topics such as homeschooling, reproductive technologies, or governmental policies impacting families. Ensure your arguments are supported by solid evidence.
• Delve into Psychology: Explore the psychological underpinnings of family dynamics, touching on concepts like attachment theory, childhood trauma, or patterns of dysfunction within families.
• Emphasize Positivity: Share uplifting stories of families overcoming adversity or discuss strategies for nurturing strong, supportive family bonds.
• Offer Practical Solutions: Wrap up your essay by proposing actionable solutions to common family challenges, such as fostering better communication, achieving work-life balance, or advocating for family-friendly policies.

Family Essay Topics

When it comes to writing, essay topics about family are often considered easier because we're intimately familiar with our own families. The more you understand about your family dynamics, traditions, and experiences, the clearer your ideas become.

If you're feeling uninspired or unsure of where to start, don't worry! Below, we have compiled a list of good family essay topics to help get your creative juices flowing. Whether you're assigned this type of essay or simply want to explore the topic, these suggestions from our history essay writer are tailored to spark your imagination and prompt meaningful reflection on different aspects of family life.

So, take a moment to peruse the list. Choose the essay topics about family that resonate most with you. Then, dive in and start exploring your family's stories, traditions, and connections through your writing.

• Supporting Family Through Tough Times
• Staying Connected with Relatives
• Empathy and Compassion in Family Life
• Strengthening Bonds Through Family Gatherings
• Quality Time with Family: How Vital Is It?
• Navigating Family Relationships Across Generations
• Learning Kindness and Generosity in a Large Family
• Communication in Healthy Family Dynamics
• Forgiveness in Family Conflict Resolution
• Building Trust Among Extended Family
• Defining Family in Today's World
• Understanding Nuclear Family: Various Views and Cultural Differences
• Understanding Family Dynamics: Relationships Within the Family Unit
• What Defines a Family Member?
• Modernizing the Nuclear Family Concept
• Exploring Shared Beliefs Among Family Members
• Evolution of the Concept of Family Love Over Time
• Examining Family Expectations
• Modern Standards and the Idea of an Ideal Family
• Life Experiences and Perceptions of Family Life
• Genetics and Extended Family Connections
• Utilizing Family Trees for Ancestral Links
• The Role of Younger Siblings in Family Dynamics
• Tracing Family History Through Oral Tradition and Genealogy
• Tracing Family Values Through Your Family Tree
• Exploring Your Elder Sister's Legacy in the Family Tree
• Connecting Daily Habits to Family History
• Documenting and Preserving Your Family's Legacy
• Navigating Online Records and DNA Testing for Family History
• Tradition as a Tool for Family Resilience
• Involving Family in Daily Life to Maintain Traditions
• Creating New Traditions for a Small Family
• The Role of Traditions in Family Happiness
• Family Recipes and Bonding at House Parties
• Quality Time: The Secret Tradition for Family Happiness
• The Joy of Cousins Visiting for Christmas
• Including Family in Birthday Celebrations
• Balancing Traditions and Unconditional Love
• Building Family Bonds Through Traditions

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Family Essay Example

For a better grasp of the essay on family, our team of skilled writers has crafted a great example. It looks into the subject matter, allowing you to explore and understand the intricacies involved in creating compelling family essays. So, check out our meticulously crafted sample to discover how to craft essays that are not only well-written but also thought-provoking and impactful.

Final Outlook

In wrapping up, let's remember: a family essay gives students a chance to showcase their academic skills and creativity by sharing personal stories. However, it's important to stick to academic standards when writing about these topics. We hope our list of topics sparked your creativity and got you on your way to a reflective journey. And if you hit a rough patch, you can just ask us to ' do my essay for me ' for top-notch results!

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FAQs on Writing an Essay about Family

Family essays seem like something school children could be assigned at elementary schools, but family is no less important than climate change for our society today, and therefore it is one of the most central research themes.

Below you will find a list of frequently asked questions on family-related topics. Before you conduct research, scroll through them and find out how to write an essay about your family.

How to Write an Essay About Your Family History?

How to write an essay about a family member, how to write an essay about family and roots, how to write an essay about the importance of family.

Daniel Parker

is a seasoned educational writer focusing on scholarship guidance, research papers, and various forms of academic essays including reflective and narrative essays. His expertise also extends to detailed case studies. A scholar with a background in English Literature and Education, Daniel’s work on EssayPro blog aims to support students in achieving academic excellence and securing scholarships. His hobbies include reading classic literature and participating in academic forums.

is an expert in nursing and healthcare, with a strong background in history, law, and literature. Holding advanced degrees in nursing and public health, his analytical approach and comprehensive knowledge help students navigate complex topics. On EssayPro blog, Adam provides insightful articles on everything from historical analysis to the intricacies of healthcare policies. In his downtime, he enjoys historical documentaries and volunteering at local clinics.

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I'm 38 and single, and I recently realized I want a child. I'm terrified I've missed my opportunity.

• I didn't want kids and didn't think I'd want to get married again after my divorce.
• But recently I realized I actually do want to build a life — and a family — with someone. 
• I'm almost 39, and I'm starting to panic about whether my chance to have a child has passed.

I can still picture it. I was 20, sitting on the kitchen countertop with my legs dangling over the cabinets. He was 21, leaning against the stove of the home he hoped we'd share. We'd been dating for nearly two years and were at a standstill.

I was clinging to my dream of moving five hours away to attend the design program at the Art Institute of Seattle. He wanted a simple life with children and home-cooked meals in the little resort town of Coeur d'Alene, Idaho, where we met in sixth grade .

That day in the kitchen, we decided to stay together, and we each gave up something to do that. I would no longer pursue design school and the big-city life I'd always dreamed of, and he'd forgo having children and a wife who prioritized homemaking. I made it clear to him that I did not see motherhood in my future and that he needed to be OK with that. Two years later, we married.

My now ex-husband wanted kids and a stay-at-home wife

My husband thought I'd change, and I thought I could change for him. I told myself that it was silly to go after my dreams and that I should be content in the pretty mountain town where I grew up.

But I grew resentful when he asked where dinner was or complained that his gym clothes hadn't been washed. I did little to hide my disdain for our small-town life. He was a good and hardworking man, but I don't think I made him feel that way.

We were young, foolish, and sweet, thinking our love would allow us to overcome our differences. We were also very wrong.

Related stories

Shortly after I turned 30, we divorced . We were both tired of sacrificing the things that were important to us for each other.

I didn't think I'd want to get married again or have kids

I told my friends and family I'd never get married again. I needed independence, a fulfilling career, and space to chart my own course, and I didn't think marriage fit into that vision. I was content to look toward a future without a husband, children, or the trappings of a "traditional" life.

I was also in no hurry to get into a serious relationship after my divorce. I was terrified of repeating my mistakes. Nevertheless, months later I stumbled into one that lasted 7 ½ years.

He was significantly older and wasn't interested in marriage or children, and we were focused on our careers. We expected little of each other aside from fidelity. We took trips, drank nice wine, and stayed out late. Without the expectations or duties of a shared mortgage or a family, we simply enjoyed our time together. When we were apart, we did our own things. Those were great, easy years.

It was an incredibly healing relationship, and, ironically, I started to become the woman my ex-husband had wanted. I enjoyed cooking, cleaning, and caring for someone when it was my choice and when it wasn't asked of me. I'd been so preoccupied with preserving my independence and caring for myself that I hadn't realized how much I could enjoy caring for someone else and allowing them to care for me.

I changed my mind about wanting to build a family with someone

I started to think I might want more than an easy, aimless relationship. I realized I might actually want to build a life from the ground up with someone who wanted the same thing. And while I knew that might take more work, it also felt like the type of connection worth pursuing.

I felt restless, and I couldn't ignore that what I wanted had changed. Though we were technically together, we were living our own lives. That was exactly what I had wanted and needed after my divorce, but autonomy was no longer my top priority. It felt like the relationship had run its course. He's a wonderful man, and we're still close, but we'd entered our relationship without intention or a shared vision of our future.

We broke up shortly before my 37th birthday. Over the following year and a half I dated around for the first time in my life. I broke hearts, had my own heart broken, and did in my late 30s what many people do in their 20s. I didn't know it then, but I was learning what I wanted and needed in a relationship. Ultimately, I want to build a life with another person, not simply join theirs when it's convenient.

I began to feel an incredible urgency to find the relationship and stability to see me through the second half of my life. To my amazement, I began seriously thinking about marriage and children — I hardly recognized myself.

I also began to feel selfish for spending so much time focusing solely on myself. I went from proudly proclaiming I was too self-centered to be bothered with a family to realizing there was more to life than independence and the pleasures of living for oneself. My very existence started to feel shallow and hollow.

I worry I'll end up alone, but I'm still hopeful

Now, months after that realization and at nearly 39, I feel panicked thinking I'll be a single, childless middle-aged woman. I worry that my youthful looks will fade and that I won't be able to attract the man I want to spend the rest of my life with.

If I sound desperate, it's because I honestly do feel a little desperate. At my age, I know that creating life may not be an option for me. And I worry that men who want a family aren't looking for a woman pushing 40. I get it; I'm no longer the ideal candidate for motherhood , and it's a scary truth. But I still hope to find someone who thinks I'm the ideal partner and create our family together.

I understand the appeal of life without the constraints of marriage or children; for many years I was quite satisfied living that way. I know people can live happy, purpose-driven lives without those things. I just don't believe I'm one of those people anymore. I know now that my purpose lies in having a husband and a family. I'm meant to care for more than myself.

I'm looking for my forever person and hoping he's looking for me, too.

Watch: Watch Tony Robbins bring someone to tears in a one-on-one motivational session

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‘How to Have Sex,’ ‘Miller’s Girl’ and More Streaming Gems

Provocative debuts from two exciting new female filmmakers lead off this month’s roundup of recommendations from your subscription streaming services.

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By Jason Bailey

‘How to Have Sex’ (2024)

Stream it on Mubi.

The title is provocative, but this is no how-to manual; instead, the writer and director Molly Manning Walker tells a contemporary coming-of-age story that will reverberate with viewers of all ages and sexes. Her focus is on Tara (Mia McKenna-Bruce), a 16-year-old British girl on a post-exams holiday in Crete with her friends. They plan to party, drink and hook up, and the latter is of particular import to Tara, who is keen to lose her virginity — less out of desire or romanticism than to simply get it over with. Manning is a cinematographer making her feature directing debut, and she deftly uses compositions, color and sound to convey Tara’s isolation, desperation and disappointment. She gets a big assist from McKenna-Bruce, a charismatic and empathetic lead who can whisper, in a throwaway line or discreet gesture, everything you need to know about this young woman’s past and present.

‘Miller’s Girl’ (2024)

Stream it on Netflix .

The first-time writer and director Jade Halley Bartlett makes occasional rookie errors in this psychosexual drama. But she has a knack with actors, particularly Jenna Ortega, who plays the lead role of a brainy teen seductress with wit and verve. Bartlett photographs Ortega like a movie star, and she comes off like one; she has a particular way of chewing on a line of loaded dialogue, and she and Martin Freeman (as the creative writing professor whose professional interest becomes personal) create a specific, uneasy but undeniable chemistry that smooths over the script’s rougher stretches. The third-act turn into a 21st century “Oleanna” is effective, with Bartlett inventively intermingling her levels of fiction and cleanly visualizing the inevitable he said/she said conflicts. The moment when Ortega decisively takes the upper hand is screen acting of the highest order.

‘Men’ (2022)

Stream it on Max .

Alex Garland’s latest, “Civil War,” has struck up a fair amount of conversation for its provocative ideas. This is his bread and butter; he delights in using the conventions of genre filmmaking to reflect on the complexities and difficulties of the human condition. His previous film falls along the same lines, taking up the forever-topical subject of the power dynamic between men and women. Jessie Buckley (excellent as ever) stars as a young woman whose peaceful getaway at a country cottage turns into an unsettling exploration of misogyny; Rory Kinnear co-stars, in a clever bit of casting, as every man she encounters. It’s a rather unsubtle method of underscoring the ever-present threat of gendered violence, but these are not subtle themes — or times.

‘A Most Wanted Man’ (2014)

Stream it on Amazon Prime Video .

In one of his final performances, great Philip Seymour Hoffman is Günther Bachmann, the German intelligence officer at the center of this modest but affecting adaptation of John le Carré’s post-9/11 novel. The director Anton Corbijn, his visual style sharpened by years as an in-demand photographer, finds the right look and feel for this story of weary bureaucrats trying (and often failing) to navigate a shifting geopolitical landscape. The supporting cast (which includes Willem Dafoe, Rachel McAdams and Robin Wright) is first rate, but this is Hoffman’s aria, and he performs it with the grace and nuance that made him such a special actor.

‘Mr. Turner’ (2014)

Stream it on Hulu .

The biographical drama of the tortured artistic genius has become one of the most tiresome touchstones of contemporary cinema, but Mike Leigh does not make check-the-box movies, and this dramatization of the life of the British painter J.M.W. Turner eschews the shopworn biopic tropes. Instead, Leigh sees Turner as a pragmatic painter, blunt in his personal interactions but inspired in his work, and Leigh’s regular collaborator Timothy Spall plays his complexities and contradictions adroitly, while the cinematographer Dick Pope gives his process a breathtaking pulse.

‘The Dead Don’t Die’ (2019)

‘the dead don’t die’ | anatomy of a scene, jim jarmusch narrates a scene from his zombie comedy featuring bill murray, adam driver, chloë sevigny and carol kane..

This is Jim Jarmusch. I’m the writer and director of “The Dead Don’t Die.” This is a scene that takes place in the Centerville police station. It’s a three-cop town, Centerville. Bill Murray, the chief. Adam Driver and Chloë Sevigny play the other two officers. There are two parts to this scene. The first is Officer Peterson — Adam Driver — explaining to Chloë Sevigny’s character that there is, in fact, a zombie apocalypse. “It’s zombies.” “What are you saying?” “Well, it’s the undead. They’ve been reanimated, caused by the Earth having been pulled off its axis, caused by the polar fracking.” And the second part of the scene is dealing with one of the undead who comes to life, played by Carol Kane. Her name is Mallory O’Brien and was known as the town drunk. - [screams] These undead in our film have a kind of vestigial memory for one thing that they were sort of obsessed with when they were alive. And in this case, being the town drunk, her obsession was chardonnay. “Look out, kids.” I’m not a big splatter film guy, so all the zombies in our film are dried up and dust inside. “Chardonnay.” “I got this, Cliff.” The visual effect is quite stunning and was done by a wonderful company, Chimney. It was quite daunting. We had to have a stand-in for Carol Kane for the actual swinging of the machete. The machete itself was only a very short blade so that it actually didn’t touch the stunt person. “Chardonnay.” - [screams] [gunshot] Bill Murray’s last shot to the severed head was improvised. In each of the other takes, he didn’t do that. But I found that very funny. Chloë Sevigny, as an actor, she is a real master of small reactions. And she is our kind of scream queen in the film because she screams maybe six times throughout the entire film.

The eternally hip writer-director Jim Jarmusch summons up a cast of his go-to actors (including Steve Buscemi, Adam Driver, Bill Murray and Tilda Swinton) for this delightfully unpredictable zombie apocalypse comedy. Driver, Murray and Chloë Sevigny are police officers in the small town of Centerville, a tiny world turned upside down by the rise of the undead, and what begins as a fairly standard “Night of the Living Dead” riff becomes a pointed commentary on Trump’s America — and then a clever meta-textual riff on filmmaking itself.

‘The Witness’ (2016)

Stream it on Amazon Prime Video and on Peacock .

After her violent 1964 death, the name Kitty Genovese became a kind of shorthand for urban indifference, after the Times reported that her stabbing had been witnessed by 38 neighbors who failed to act. In later years, The Times reconsidered its account ; this powerful documentary also attempts to set the record straight, following Ms. Genovese’s younger brother Bill as he attempts to not only clarify the circumstances of her death, but highlight the joy and bravery of her life. Kitty Genovese was a person, not a symbol, and the director James Solomon admirably and poignantly corrects that error.

‘Riotsville, USA’ (2022)

As news outlets have recently reported on police clashing with protesters on college campuses, some necessary historical context is available via this documentary account of how our government addressed similar civil unrest in the late 1960s. The title comes from a government training facility, a fake town built for urban riot training exercises, and the director Sierra Pettengill uncovers shocking (and occasionally amusing) archival footage of those exercises and contemporaneous images of police and soldiers violently stifling peaceful protesters. This is a fierce, angry film — the kind of documentary where historical overview blurs uncomfortably into contemporary commentary.

Explore More in TV and Movies

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“Megalopolis,” the first film from the director Francis Ford Coppola in 13 years, premiered at the Cannes Film Festival. Here’s what to know .

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Luke Newton has been in the sexy Netflix hit “Bridgerton” from the start. But a new season will be his first as co-lead — or chief hunk .

There’s nothing normal about making a “Mad Max” movie, and Anya Taylor-Joy knew that  when she signed on to star in “Furiosa,” the newest film in George Miller’s action series.

If you are overwhelmed by the endless options, don’t despair — we put together the best offerings   on Netflix , Max , Disney+ , Amazon Prime  and Hulu  to make choosing your next binge a little easier.

Sign up for our Watching newsletter  to get recommendations on the best films and TV shows to stream and watch, delivered to your inbox.

McKinsey Global Private Markets Review 2024: Private markets in a slower era

At a glance, macroeconomic challenges continued.

McKinsey Global Private Markets Review 2024: Private markets: A slower era

If 2022 was a tale of two halves, with robust fundraising and deal activity in the first six months followed by a slowdown in the second half, then 2023 might be considered a tale of one whole. Macroeconomic headwinds persisted throughout the year, with rising financing costs, and an uncertain growth outlook taking a toll on private markets. Full-year fundraising continued to decline from 2021’s lofty peak, weighed down by the “denominator effect” that persisted in part due to a less active deal market. Managers largely held onto assets to avoid selling in a lower-multiple environment, fueling an activity-dampening cycle in which distribution-starved limited partners (LPs) reined in new commitments.

About the authors

This article is a summary of a larger report, available as a PDF, that is a collaborative effort by Fredrik Dahlqvist , Alastair Green , Paul Maia, Alexandra Nee , David Quigley , Aditya Sanghvi , Connor Mangan, John Spivey, Rahel Schneider, and Brian Vickery , representing views from McKinsey’s Private Equity & Principal Investors Practice.

Performance in most private asset classes remained below historical averages for a second consecutive year. Decade-long tailwinds from low and falling interest rates and consistently expanding multiples seem to be things of the past. As private market managers look to boost performance in this new era of investing, a deeper focus on revenue growth and margin expansion will be needed now more than ever.

Perspectives on a slower era in private markets

Global fundraising contracted.

Fundraising fell 22 percent across private market asset classes globally to just over $1 trillion, as of year-end reported data—the lowest total since 2017. Fundraising in North America, a rare bright spot in 2022, declined in line with global totals, while in Europe, fundraising proved most resilient, falling just 3 percent. In Asia, fundraising fell precipitously and now sits 72 percent below the region’s 2018 peak.

Despite difficult fundraising conditions, headwinds did not affect all strategies or managers equally. Private equity (PE) buyout strategies posted their best fundraising year ever, and larger managers and vehicles also fared well, continuing the prior year’s trend toward greater fundraising concentration.

The numerator effect persisted

Despite a marked recovery in the denominator—the 1,000 largest US retirement funds grew 7 percent in the year ending September 2023, after falling 14 percent the prior year, for example 1 “U.S. retirement plans recover half of 2022 losses amid no-show recession,” Pensions and Investments , February 12, 2024. —many LPs remain overexposed to private markets relative to their target allocations. LPs started 2023 overweight: according to analysis from CEM Benchmarking, average allocations across PE, infrastructure, and real estate were at or above target allocations as of the beginning of the year. And the numerator grew throughout the year, as a lack of exits and rebounding valuations drove net asset values (NAVs) higher. While not all LPs strictly follow asset allocation targets, our analysis in partnership with global private markets firm StepStone Group suggests that an overallocation of just one percentage point can reduce planned commitments by as much as 10 to 12 percent per year for five years or more.

Despite these headwinds, recent surveys indicate that LPs remain broadly committed to private markets. In fact, the majority plan to maintain or increase allocations over the medium to long term.

Investors fled to known names and larger funds

Fundraising concentration reached its highest level in over a decade, as investors continued to shift new commitments in favor of the largest fund managers. The 25 most successful fundraisers collected 41 percent of aggregate commitments to closed-end funds (with the top five managers accounting for nearly half that total). Closed-end fundraising totals may understate the extent of concentration in the industry overall, as the largest managers also tend to be more successful in raising non-institutional capital.

While the largest funds grew even larger—the largest vehicles on record were raised in buyout, real estate, infrastructure, and private debt in 2023—smaller and newer funds struggled. Fewer than 1,700 funds of less than $1 billion were closed during the year, half as many as closed in 2022 and the fewest of any year since 2012. New manager formation also fell to the lowest level since 2012, with just 651 new firms launched in 2023.

Whether recent fundraising concentration and a spate of M&A activity signals the beginning of oft-rumored consolidation in the private markets remains uncertain, as a similar pattern developed in each of the last two fundraising downturns before giving way to renewed entrepreneurialism among general partners (GPs) and commitment diversification among LPs. Compared with how things played out in the last two downturns, perhaps this movie really is different, or perhaps we’re watching a trilogy reusing a familiar plotline.

Dry powder inventory spiked (again)

Private markets assets under management totaled $13.1 trillion as of June 30, 2023, and have grown nearly 20 percent per annum since 2018. Dry powder reserves—the amount of capital committed but not yet deployed—increased to $3.7 trillion, marking the ninth consecutive year of growth. Dry powder inventory—the amount of capital available to GPs expressed as a multiple of annual deployment—increased for the second consecutive year in PE, as new commitments continued to outpace deal activity. Inventory sat at 1.6 years in 2023, up markedly from the 0.9 years recorded at the end of 2021 but still within the historical range. NAV grew as well, largely driven by the reluctance of managers to exit positions and crystallize returns in a depressed multiple environment.

Private equity strategies diverged

Buyout and venture capital, the two largest PE sub-asset classes, charted wildly different courses over the past 18 months. Buyout notched its highest fundraising year ever in 2023, and its performance improved, with funds posting a (still paltry) 5 percent net internal rate of return through September 30. And although buyout deal volumes declined by 19 percent, 2023 was still the third-most-active year on record. In contrast, venture capital (VC) fundraising declined by nearly 60 percent, equaling its lowest total since 2015, and deal volume fell by 36 percent to the lowest level since 2019. VC funds returned –3 percent through September, posting negative returns for seven consecutive quarters. VC was the fastest-growing—as well as the highest-performing—PE strategy by a significant margin from 2010 to 2022, but investors appear to be reevaluating their approach in the current environment.

Private equity entry multiples contracted

PE buyout entry multiples declined by roughly one turn from 11.9 to 11.0 times EBITDA, slightly outpacing the decline in public market multiples (down from 12.1 to 11.3 times EBITDA), through the first nine months of 2023. For nearly a decade leading up to 2022, managers consistently sold assets into a higher-multiple environment than that in which they had bought those assets, providing a substantial performance tailwind for the industry. Nowhere has this been truer than in technology. After experiencing more than eight turns of multiple expansion from 2009 to 2021 (the most of any sector), technology multiples have declined by nearly three turns in the past two years, 50 percent more than in any other sector. Overall, roughly two-thirds of the total return for buyout deals that were entered in 2010 or later and exited in 2021 or before can be attributed to market multiple expansion and leverage. Now, with falling multiples and higher financing costs, revenue growth and margin expansion are taking center stage for GPs.

Real estate receded

Demand uncertainty, slowing rent growth, and elevated financing costs drove cap rates higher and made price discovery challenging, all of which weighed on deal volume, fundraising, and investment performance. Global closed-end fundraising declined 34 percent year over year, and funds returned −4 percent in the first nine months of the year, losing money for the first time since the 2007–08 global financial crisis. Capital shifted away from core and core-plus strategies as investors sought liquidity via redemptions in open-end vehicles, from which net outflows reached their highest level in at least two decades. Opportunistic strategies benefited from this shift, with investors focusing on capital appreciation over income generation in a market where alternative sources of yield have grown more attractive. Rising interest rates widened bid–ask spreads and impaired deal volume across food groups, including in what were formerly hot sectors: multifamily and industrial.

Private debt pays dividends

Debt again proved to be the most resilient private asset class against a turbulent market backdrop. Fundraising declined just 13 percent, largely driven by lower commitments to direct lending strategies, for which a slower PE deal environment has made capital deployment challenging. The asset class also posted the highest returns among all private asset classes through September 30. Many private debt securities are tied to floating rates, which enhance returns in a rising-rate environment. Thus far, managers appear to have successfully navigated the rising incidence of default and distress exhibited across the broader leveraged-lending market. Although direct lending deal volume declined from 2022, private lenders financed an all-time high 59 percent of leveraged buyout transactions last year and are now expanding into additional strategies to drive the next era of growth.

Infrastructure took a detour

After several years of robust growth and strong performance, infrastructure and natural resources fundraising declined by 53 percent to the lowest total since 2013. Supply-side timing is partially to blame: five of the seven largest infrastructure managers closed a flagship vehicle in 2021 or 2022, and none of those five held a final close last year. As in real estate, investors shied away from core and core-plus investments in a higher-yield environment. Yet there are reasons to believe infrastructure’s growth will bounce back. Limited partners (LPs) surveyed by McKinsey remain bullish on their deployment to the asset class, and at least a dozen vehicles targeting more than $10 billion were actively fundraising as of the end of 2023. Multiple recent acquisitions of large infrastructure GPs by global multi-asset-class managers also indicate marketwide conviction in the asset class’s potential.

Private markets still have work to do on diversity

Private markets firms are slowly improving their representation of females (up two percentage points over the prior year) and ethnic and racial minorities (up one percentage point). On some diversity metrics, including entry-level representation of women, private markets now compare favorably with corporate America. Yet broad-based parity remains elusive and too slow in the making. Ethnic, racial, and gender imbalances are particularly stark across more influential investing roles and senior positions. In fact, McKinsey’s research  reveals that at the current pace, it would take several decades for private markets firms to reach gender parity at senior levels. Increasing representation across all levels will require managers to take fresh approaches to hiring, retention, and promotion.

Artificial intelligence generating excitement

The transformative potential of generative AI was perhaps 2023’s hottest topic (beyond Taylor Swift). Private markets players are excited about the potential for the technology to optimize their approach to thesis generation, deal sourcing, investment due diligence, and portfolio performance, among other areas. While the technology is still nascent and few GPs can boast scaled implementations, pilot programs are already in flight across the industry, particularly within portfolio companies. Adoption seems nearly certain to accelerate throughout 2024.

Private markets in a slower era

If private markets investors entered 2023 hoping for a return to the heady days of 2021, they likely left the year disappointed. Many of the headwinds that emerged in the latter half of 2022 persisted throughout the year, pressuring fundraising, dealmaking, and performance. Inflation moderated somewhat over the course of the year but remained stubbornly elevated by recent historical standards. Interest rates started high and rose higher, increasing the cost of financing. A reinvigorated public equity market recovered most of 2022’s losses but did little to resolve the valuation uncertainty private market investors have faced for the past 18 months.

Within private markets, the denominator effect remained in play, despite the public market recovery, as the numerator continued to expand. An activity-dampening cycle emerged: higher cost of capital and lower multiples limited the ability or willingness of general partners (GPs) to exit positions; fewer exits, coupled with continuing capital calls, pushed LP allocations higher, thereby limiting their ability or willingness to make new commitments. These conditions weighed on managers’ ability to fundraise. Based on data reported as of year-end 2023, private markets fundraising fell 22 percent from the prior year to just over $1 trillion, the largest such drop since 2009 (Exhibit 1).

The impact of the fundraising environment was not felt equally among GPs. Continuing a trend that emerged in 2022, and consistent with prior downturns in fundraising, LPs favored larger vehicles and the scaled GPs that typically manage them. Smaller and newer managers struggled, and the number of sub–$1 billion vehicles and new firm launches each declined to its lowest level in more than a decade.

Despite the decline in fundraising, private markets assets under management (AUM) continued to grow, increasing 12 percent to $13.1 trillion as of June 30, 2023. 2023 fundraising was still the sixth-highest annual haul on record, pushing dry powder higher, while the slowdown in deal making limited distributions.

Investment performance across private market asset classes fell short of historical averages. Private equity (PE) got back in the black but generated the lowest annual performance in the past 15 years, excluding 2022. Closed-end real estate produced negative returns for the first time since 2009, as capitalization (cap) rates expanded across sectors and rent growth dissipated in formerly hot sectors, including multifamily and industrial. The performance of infrastructure funds was less than half of its long-term average and even further below the double-digit returns generated in 2021 and 2022. Private debt was the standout performer (if there was one), outperforming all other private asset classes and illustrating the asset class’s countercyclical appeal.

Private equity down but not out

Higher financing costs, lower multiples, and an uncertain macroeconomic environment created a challenging backdrop for private equity managers in 2023. Fundraising declined for the second year in a row, falling 15 percent to $649 billion, as LPs grappled with the denominator effect and a slowdown in distributions. Managers were on the fundraising trail longer to raise this capital: funds that closed in 2023 were open for a record-high average of 20.1 months, notably longer than 18.7 months in 2022 and 14.1 months in 2018. VC and growth equity strategies led the decline, dropping to their lowest level of cumulative capital raised since 2015. Fundraising in Asia fell for the fourth year of the last five, with the greatest decline in China.

Despite the difficult fundraising context, a subset of strategies and managers prevailed. Buyout managers collectively had their best fundraising year on record, raising more than $400 billion. Fundraising in Europe surged by more than 50 percent, resulting in the region’s biggest haul ever. The largest managers raised an outsized share of the total for a second consecutive year, making 2023 the most concentrated fundraising year of the last decade (Exhibit 2).

Despite the drop in aggregate fundraising, PE assets under management increased 8 percent to $8.2 trillion. Only a small part of this growth was performance driven: PE funds produced a net IRR of just 2.5 percent through September 30, 2023. Buyouts and growth equity generated positive returns, while VC lost money. PE performance, dating back to the beginning of 2022, remains negative, highlighting the difficulty of generating attractive investment returns in a higher interest rate and lower multiple environment. As PE managers devise value creation strategies to improve performance, their focus includes ensuring operating efficiency and profitability of their portfolio companies.

Deal activity volume and count fell sharply, by 21 percent and 24 percent, respectively, which continued the slower pace set in the second half of 2022. Sponsors largely opted to hold assets longer rather than lock in underwhelming returns. While higher financing costs and valuation mismatches weighed on overall deal activity, certain types of M&A gained share. Add-on deals, for example, accounted for a record 46 percent of total buyout deal volume last year.

Real estate recedes

For real estate, 2023 was a year of transition, characterized by a litany of new and familiar challenges. Pandemic-driven demand issues continued, while elevated financing costs, expanding cap rates, and valuation uncertainty weighed on commercial real estate deal volumes, fundraising, and investment performance.

Managers faced one of the toughest fundraising environments in many years. Global closed-end fundraising declined 34 percent to $125 billion. While fundraising challenges were widespread, they were not ubiquitous across strategies. Dollars continued to shift to large, multi-asset class platforms, with the top five managers accounting for 37 percent of aggregate closed-end real estate fundraising. In April, the largest real estate fund ever raised closed on a record $30 billion.

Capital shifted away from core and core-plus strategies as investors sought liquidity through redemptions in open-end vehicles and reduced gross contributions to the lowest level since 2009. Opportunistic strategies benefited from this shift, as investors turned their attention toward capital appreciation over income generation in a market where alternative sources of yield have grown more attractive.

In the United States, for instance, open-end funds, as represented by the National Council of Real Estate Investment Fiduciaries Fund Index—Open-End Equity (NFI-OE), recorded $13 billion in net outflows in 2023, reversing the trend of positive net inflows throughout the 2010s. The negative flows mainly reflected $9 billion in core outflows, with core-plus funds accounting for the remaining outflows, which reversed a 20-year run of net inflows.

As a result, the NAV in US open-end funds fell roughly 16 percent year over year. Meanwhile, global assets under management in closed-end funds reached a new peak of $1.7 trillion as of June 2023, growing 14 percent between June 2022 and June 2023.

Real estate underperformed historical averages in 2023, as previously high-performing multifamily and industrial sectors joined office in producing negative returns caused by slowing demand growth and cap rate expansion. Closed-end funds generated a pooled net IRR of −3.5 percent in the first nine months of 2023, losing money for the first time since the global financial crisis. The lone bright spot among major sectors was hospitality, which—thanks to a rush of postpandemic travel—returned 10.3 percent in 2023. 2 Based on NCREIFs NPI index. Hotels represent 1 percent of total properties in the index. As a whole, the average pooled lifetime net IRRs for closed-end real estate funds from 2011–20 vintages remained around historical levels (9.8 percent).

Global deal volume declined 47 percent in 2023 to reach a ten-year low of $650 billion, driven by widening bid–ask spreads amid valuation uncertainty and higher costs of financing (Exhibit 3). 3 CBRE, Real Capital Analytics Deal flow in the office sector remained depressed, partly as a result of continued uncertainty in the demand for space in a hybrid working world.

During a turbulent year for private markets, private debt was a relative bright spot, topping private markets asset classes in terms of fundraising growth, AUM growth, and performance.

Fundraising for private debt declined just 13 percent year over year, nearly ten percentage points less than the private markets overall. Despite the decline in fundraising, AUM surged 27 percent to $1.7 trillion. And private debt posted the highest investment returns of any private asset class through the first three quarters of 2023.

Private debt’s risk/return characteristics are well suited to the current environment. With interest rates at their highest in more than a decade, current yields in the asset class have grown more attractive on both an absolute and relative basis, particularly if higher rates sustain and put downward pressure on equity returns (Exhibit 4). The built-in security derived from debt’s privileged position in the capital structure, moreover, appeals to investors that are wary of market volatility and valuation uncertainty.

Direct lending continued to be the largest strategy in 2023, with fundraising for the mostly-senior-debt strategy accounting for almost half of the asset class’s total haul (despite declining from the previous year). Separately, mezzanine debt fundraising hit a new high, thanks to the closings of three of the largest funds ever raised in the strategy.

Over the longer term, growth in private debt has largely been driven by institutional investors rotating out of traditional fixed income in favor of private alternatives. Despite this growth in commitments, LPs remain underweight in this asset class relative to their targets. In fact, the allocation gap has only grown wider in recent years, a sharp contrast to other private asset classes, for which LPs’ current allocations exceed their targets on average. According to data from CEM Benchmarking, the private debt allocation gap now stands at 1.4 percent, which means that, in aggregate, investors must commit hundreds of billions in net new capital to the asset class just to reach current targets.

Private debt was not completely immune to the macroeconomic conditions last year, however. Fundraising declined for the second consecutive year and now sits 23 percent below 2021’s peak. Furthermore, though private lenders took share in 2023 from other capital sources, overall deal volumes also declined for the second year in a row. The drop was largely driven by a less active PE deal environment: private debt is predominantly used to finance PE-backed companies, though managers are increasingly diversifying their origination capabilities to include a broad new range of companies and asset types.

Infrastructure and natural resources take a detour

For infrastructure and natural resources fundraising, 2023 was an exceptionally challenging year. Aggregate capital raised declined 53 percent year over year to $82 billion, the lowest annual total since 2013. The size of the drop is particularly surprising in light of infrastructure’s recent momentum. The asset class had set fundraising records in four of the previous five years, and infrastructure is often considered an attractive investment in uncertain markets.

While there is little doubt that the broader fundraising headwinds discussed elsewhere in this report affected infrastructure and natural resources fundraising last year, dynamics specific to the asset class were at play as well. One issue was supply-side timing: nine of the ten largest infrastructure GPs did not close a flagship fund in 2023. Second was the migration of investor dollars away from core and core-plus investments, which have historically accounted for the bulk of infrastructure fundraising, in a higher rate environment.

The asset class had some notable bright spots last year. Fundraising for higher-returning opportunistic strategies more than doubled the prior year’s total (Exhibit 5). AUM grew 18 percent, reaching a new high of $1.5 trillion. Infrastructure funds returned a net IRR of 3.4 percent in 2023; this was below historical averages but still the second-best return among private asset classes. And as was the case in other asset classes, investors concentrated commitments in larger funds and managers in 2023, including in the largest infrastructure fund ever raised.

The outlook for the asset class, moreover, remains positive. Funds targeting a record amount of capital were in the market at year-end, providing a robust foundation for fundraising in 2024 and 2025. A recent spate of infrastructure GP acquisitions signal multi-asset managers’ long-term conviction in the asset class, despite short-term headwinds. Global megatrends like decarbonization and digitization, as well as revolutions in energy and mobility, have spurred new infrastructure investment opportunities around the world, particularly for value-oriented investors that are willing to take on more risk.

Private markets make measured progress in DEI

Diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) has become an important part of the fundraising, talent, and investing landscape for private market participants. Encouragingly, incremental progress has been made in recent years, including more diverse talent being brought to entry-level positions, investing roles, and investment committees. The scope of DEI metrics provided to institutional investors during fundraising has also increased in recent years: more than half of PE firms now provide data across investing teams, portfolio company boards, and portfolio company management (versus investment team data only). 4 “ The state of diversity in global private markets: 2023 ,” McKinsey, August 22, 2023.

In 2023, McKinsey surveyed 66 global private markets firms that collectively employ more than 60,000 people for the second annual State of diversity in global private markets report. 5 “ The state of diversity in global private markets: 2023 ,” McKinsey, August 22, 2023. The research offers insight into the representation of women and ethnic and racial minorities in private investing as of year-end 2022. In this chapter, we discuss where the numbers stand and how firms can bring a more diverse set of perspectives to the table.

The statistics indicate signs of modest advancement. Overall representation of women in private markets increased two percentage points to 35 percent, and ethnic and racial minorities increased one percentage point to 30 percent (Exhibit 6). Entry-level positions have nearly reached gender parity, with female representation at 48 percent. The share of women holding C-suite roles globally increased 3 percentage points, while the share of people from ethnic and racial minorities in investment committees increased 9 percentage points. There is growing evidence that external hiring is gradually helping close the diversity gap, especially at senior levels. For example, 33 percent of external hires at the managing director level were ethnic or racial minorities, higher than their existing representation level (19 percent).

Yet, the scope of the challenge remains substantial. Women and minorities continue to be underrepresented in senior positions and investing roles. They also experience uneven rates of progress due to lower promotion and higher attrition rates, particularly at smaller firms. Firms are also navigating an increasingly polarized workplace today, with additional scrutiny and a growing number of lawsuits against corporate diversity and inclusion programs, particularly in the US, which threatens to impact the industry’s pace of progress.

Fredrik Dahlqvist is a senior partner in McKinsey’s Stockholm office; Alastair Green  is a senior partner in the Washington, DC, office, where Paul Maia and Alexandra Nee  are partners; David Quigley  is a senior partner in the New York office, where Connor Mangan is an associate partner and Aditya Sanghvi  is a senior partner; Rahel Schneider is an associate partner in the Bay Area office; John Spivey is a partner in the Charlotte office; and Brian Vickery  is a partner in the Boston office.

The authors wish to thank Jonathan Christy, Louis Dufau, Vaibhav Gujral, Graham Healy-Day, Laura Johnson, Ryan Luby, Tripp Norton, Alastair Rami, Henri Torbey, and Alex Wolkomir for their contributions

The authors would also like to thank CEM Benchmarking and the StepStone Group for their partnership in this year's report.

This article was edited by Arshiya Khullar, an editor in the Gurugram office.

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