niece

Everyday

1. A daughter of your brother or sister (or of your husband's or wife's brother or sister). tree →
2. In a family tree, the girl one generation below you on a sideways branch. tree →

In the lessons

Family vocabulary: aunt/uncle and niece/nephew are pairs. If your mum has a brother, you are his niece (if you are a girl) or nephew (if you are a boy). In maths and logic puzzles about family trees, you have to work out the relationships carefully. Phrases: «my niece», «nieces and nephews», «great-niece».

Examples

• My aunt calls me her favourite niece. tree →
• Uncle Tom has three nieces and one nephew. tree →
• Her niece is coming to stay for the holidays. tree →
• I am my mum's brother's niece. tree →
• A great-niece is the granddaughter of your brother or sister. tree →
• Grandad's niece lives in New Zealand. tree →
• There was a sultan, who had three sons and a niece. tree →

Note

Spelling trap: «i before e» – n-i-e-c-e. The male word is «nephew». The pair is aunt/uncle ↔ niece/nephew. Plural «nieces». Do not mix up with «cousin» (your aunt's or uncle's child – your niece's parent is your brother or sister).