Family Words in Italian
Italian family words come in male and female pairs. The masculine plural covers a mixed group, which is why one word can mean both brothers and siblings.
Parents and children
-
la madre
lah MAH-dreh
-
mother
mamma in everyday speech
-
il padre
eel PAH-dreh
-
father
papà, stressed on the second syllable
-
i genitori
ee jeh-nee-TOH-ree
-
parents
-
la figlia
lah FEE-lyah
-
daughter
-
il figlio
eel FEE-lyoh
-
son
-
i figli
ee FEE-lyee
-
children
Your own children
Brothers, sisters and grandparents
-
la sorella
lah soh-REL-lah
-
sister
-
il fratello
eel frah-TEL-loh
-
brother
-
i fratelli
ee frah-TEL-lee
-
siblings
-
la nonna
lah NON-nah
-
grandmother
-
il nonno
eel NON-noh
-
grandfather
-
i nonni
ee NON-nee
-
grandparents
The wider family
-
la zia
lah TSEE-ah
-
aunt
-
lo zio
loh TSEE-oh
-
uncle
Takes lo, not il, because of the z
-
la cugina
lah koo-JEE-nah
-
cousin (female)
-
il cugino
eel koo-JEE-noh
-
cousin (male)
-
la moglie
lah MOH-lyeh
-
wife
-
il marito
eel mah-REE-toh
-
husband
-
la famiglia
lah fah-MEE-lyah
-
family
One word for brothers and for siblings
A masculine plural covers a mixed group, so i fratelli means brothers and also brothers and sisters together. Le sorelle can only be sisters.
The same logic gives i genitori for parents and i nonni for grandparents.
The gl in figlio, moglie and famiglia is a single sound, close to the lli in million. It is never a hard g.
Family words are the one place Italian drops the article after a possessive: mia sorella, not la mia sorella. Once the word is plural the article returns: le mie sorelle.
- Questa è mia sorella.This is my sister.
- Ho due fratelli.I have two siblings.
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