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.

• Immediate family members in Italian
• Extended family members in Italian
• Other family members in Italian
• Phrases and expressions around family in Italian

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Immediate family members in Italian

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

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

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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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