La famiglia: How to talk about family in Italian
La famiglia (the family) is an integral and intricate part of Italian culture. Sure, it may at times be portrayed in an exaggerated manner, but it’s undeniable that both the nuclear and extended family play a powerful role in the lives of many Italians.
It’s not uncommon for extended families in Italy to live in the same house or community. This leads to a natural intertwining of lives: grandparents care for their grandchildren on a daily basis, adult children pop into their parents’ house on lunch break and the whole family often gathers around the table to share a big meal.
So, if you want to expand your Italian vocabulary and cultural knowledge, there’s no doubt that the family is a good place to start.
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Let’s start with the core members of a traditional Italian family:
| Italian (singular) | Italian (plural) | English |
| la mamma | le mamme | mom/mommy |
| la madre | le madri | mother |
| il papà | i papà | dad/daddy |
| il padre | i padri | father |
| il genitore | i genitori | parent |
| la sorella | le sorelle | sister |
| il fratello | i fratelli | brother |
| n/a | i fratelli | siblings |
| la figlia | le figlie | daughter |
| il figlio | i figli | son |
| il neonato/la neonata | i neonati/le neonate | newborn baby |
| la moglie | le mogli | wife |
| il marito | i mariti | husband |
| la fidanzata | le fidanzate | girlfriend/fiancée |
| il fidanzato | i fidanzati | boyfriend/fiancé |
| la ragazza | le ragazze | girlfriend (informal) |
| il ragazzo | i ragazzi | boyfriend (informal) |
Extended family members in Italian
Moving to the outer circle of the familial nucleus, we find i nonni and other relatives:
| Italian (singular) | Italian (plural) | English |
| il parente | i parenti | relative |
| la nonna | le nonne | grandmother |
| il nonno | i nonni | grandfather |
| la bisnonna | le bisnonne | great-grandmother |
| il bisnonno | i bisnonni | great-grandfather |
| la zia | le zie | aunt |
| lo zio | gli zii | uncle |
| la cugina | le cugine | cousin (feminine) |
| il cugino | i cugini | cousin (masculine) |
| la nipote | le nipoti | niece/granddaughter |
| il nipote | i nipoti | nephew/grandson |
| la pronipote | le pronipoti | great-granddaughter |
| il pronipote | i pronipoti | great-grandson |
| la suocera | le suocere | mother-in-law |
| il suocero | i suoceri | father-in-law |
| n/a | i suoceri | parents-in-law |
| la cognata | le cognate | sister-in-law |
| il cognato | i cognati | brother-in-law |
| la nuora | le nuore | daughter-in-law |
| il genero | i generi | son-in-law |
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Other family members in Italian
Families are ecosystems that mutate and, at times, when more familiar groups merge, some additional vocabulary is needed to describe these relationships.
| Italian (singular) | Italian (plural) | English |
| la famiglia adottiva | le famiglie adottive | adoptive family |
| la madre adottiva | le madri adottive | adoptive mother |
| il padre adottivo | i padri adottivi | adoptive father |
| la figlia adottiva | le figlie adottive | adoptive daughter |
| il figlio adottivo | il figlio adottivo | adoptive son |
| la madrina | le madrine | godmother |
| il padrino | i padrini | godfather |
| la matrigna* | le matrigne | stepmother |
| il patrigno* | i patrigni | stepfather |
| la sorellastra* | le sorellastre | stepsister |
| il fratellastro* | i fratellastri | stepbrother |
*Note that terms ending with -igna/-igno or -astra/-astro tend to have a negative connotation. To keep it neutral and unbiased, use forms like “figlio acquisito” or “figlia acquisita” instead.
Phrases and expressions around family in Italian
Now that you’ve learned the key Italian words for family members, here are some phrases and expressions you can use when talking about family:
- Come stanno i tuoi? (How are yours doing?) – This phrase is used to inquire after a person’s family in general
- Mi sono sposato/sposata (I got married)
- Ho una sorella gemella/un fratello gemello (I have a twin sister/brother)
- Sono figlia unica/figlio unico (I am an only child)
- Lui/lei è il primogenito/la primogenito (He/she is the first-born)
- Quanti fratelli hai? (How many siblings do you have?) – In Italian, you usually use the masculine noun to refer to both sexes
The importance of the Italian family
Be it small or extended, the family (la famiglia) plays an important role in the lives of many Italians. It is conceived as both the childhood nest and a place you can lean on for the long run. While this is not true of all Italians, many will still live in close-knit communities where family members are available for any support needed. Learning these dynamics will also allow you to glimpse into Italian culture and how families operate. So, knowing how to discuss this heartfelt subject may even bring you one step closer to finding your own Italian family.
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Valentina Rampazzo
Valentina Rampazzo is an Italian Content Manager and writer. She has lived in five countries across Europe and speaks as many languages. She is based in Berlin where she works at Lingoda. She also collaborates with a Portuguese association focused on helping the integration of migrants through languages by writing for their blog. Apart from writing, she enjoys cooking and experimenting with plant-based food, loves traveling and has a hard time saying no to cuddle time with her black cat.
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