Are you curious to know what the Italian vocabulary for family is? The family has a very important role in the life of Italians. Therefore, it is common to have family-related terms in a conversation. The best thing you can do is to improve your Italian vocabulary and include family words.
This article covers the basics and most common Italian vocabulary for family.
The Most Common Italian Vocabulary For Family
An Italian family can be pretty numerous and can include a lot of relatives and extra family members added with a marriage. For example, southern Italian families tend to have more kids, and each has more than one aunt, cousin, and other family members.
When you meet Italians for the first time, during the greetings, you might be asked about your family, or others will tell you about theirs.
Here are the most common family words:
- Il padre – Father
- Il papà – Daddy
- La madre – Mother
- La mamma – Mom
- Il marito – Husband
- La moglie – Wife
- Il figlio – Son
- La figlia – Daughter
- Il fratello – Brother
- La sorella – Sister
- La sorella più giovane – Younger sister
- Lo zio – Uncle
- La zia – Aunt
- Il cugino – Cousin
- La cugina – Cousin (female)
- Il nonno – Grandfather
- Il nipote – Nephew
- La nipote – Niece (female)
- Il pronipote – Great-grandchild
- La pronipote – Great-granddaughter
The Most Common Italian Vocabulary For The Extended Family
It is very useful to add to the vocabulary additional words for the extended family. You might find them useful if you travel to Italy or speak to Italian friends.
Here are more family-related words:
- I parenti – Relatives
- Il genero – Son-in-law
- Il mio unico figlio – My only child
- La nuora – Daughter-in-law
- Il suocero – Father-in-law
- La suocera – Mother-in-law
- Il cognato – Brother-in-law
- La cognata – Sister-in-law
- Il padrino – Godfather
- La madrina – Godmother
- Il patrigno – Stepfather
- La matrigna – Stepmother
- Il fratellastro – Stepbrother
- La sorellastra – Stepsister
- La nonna – Grandmother
- I nonni – Grandparents
- Il bisnonno – Great-grandfather
- La bisnonna – Great-grandmother
The Most Common Italian Vocabulary Related To Family
It is also possible to encounter other words related to the family in Italian during a conversation with friends, or you might need to use them when talking about your family.
Here they are:
- I miei fratelli – My brothers
- La famiglia – Family
- La famiglia allargata – Extended family
- I genitori – Parents
- Il Fidanzato – Boyfriend
- La fidanzata – Girlfriend
- Bambini – Children
- Singolo membro della famiglia – Single family member
Idioms That Have To Do With Family
Italians often use idioms with family words. If you do not know them, you might think of a different meaning than the one intended.
Here are some of the most common idioms related to the family in Italian:
- L’unità di una famiglia fa la sua felicità – The unity of a family makes its happiness
- Chi si sposa coi parenti, poca vita e assai tormenti – Those who marry with relatives, little life and much torment
- Parenti serpenti – Snake relatives
- Suocera e nuora, tempesta e gragnola – Mother-in-law and daughter-in-law, storm and gragnola
- Buon sangue non mente – Good blood does not lie
- Tra la suocera e la nuora, c’è il diavolo che lavora – Between the mother-in-law and the daughter-in-law, there is the devil who works
- II sangue unisce, l’interesse divide – Blood unites, interest divides
- I litigi di famiglia devono rimanere in famiglia – Family quarrels must remain in the family
- È più facile essere a capo di un regno che a capo di una famiglia – It is easier to be the head of a kingdom than the head of a family.
- Ogni casa ha la sua croce – Each house has its own cross
- In casa di calzolaio non si hanno scarpe – There are no shoes in a cobbler’s house
Common Sentences Used In A Household
If you are invited for dinner at the house of an Italian family, you might hear some of the following common phrases:
- Vai a fare i compiti – Go do your homework
- La cene è pronta – Dinner is ready
- Non dimenticare di portare fuori il cane – Don’t forget to take the dog out
- La mia famiglia va in vacanza in Agosto – My family goes on vacation in August
- Mia mamma cucina molto bene – My mom cooks very well
- Mio fratello ha due figli – My brother has two children
- I miei genitori ti invitano a cena stasera – My parents are inviting you to dinner tonight
- I miei figli iniziano la scuola domani – My children start school tomorrow
- Aiuta tua madre a lavare i piatti – Help your mom wash the dishes
- Non giocare a pallone in casa – Don’t play football at home
- Ti presento la mia famiglia – Ti presento la mia famiglia
- Mia sorella è una vera peste – My sister is a real pest
Would you like to know more about the Italian language?
Ready To Learn More Italian?
Would you like to speak Italian like native speakers? Now that you know more about the Italian family, you can learn more about Italian culture and the rest of the language. You can do this by using the Ling App!
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