Family Words in Italian, and the Nipote Puzzle

Talking about family is a natural way to start a conversation in Italian. The vocabulary is easy, with a few surprises.

Immediate family

English	Italian
mother	madre, mamma
father	padre, papà
brother	fratello
sister	sorella
son	figlio
daughter	figlia
husband	marito
wife	moglie

Extended family

English	Italian
grandfather	nonno
grandmother	nonna
uncle	zio
aunt	zia
cousin	cugino (m.), cugina (f.)
father-in-law	suocero
mother-in-law	suocera
brother-in-law	cognato
sister-in-law	cognata

The nipote puzzle

Nipote has two meanings, depending on context:

• grandchild (a child of your son or daughter)
• nephew or niece (a child of your brother or sister)

Italian speakers usually understand from context, and sometimes clarify with nipote di nonno (grandchild) or nipote di zio (nephew or niece).

Genitori vs parenti

This is a classic false friend:

• genitori — parents
• parenti — relatives

So i miei genitori means "my parents", and i miei parenti means "my relatives".

Possessives with family

Italian usually omits the article with singular family members:

• mia madre — my mother
• mio fratello — my brother
• tua sorella — your sister

But the article stays for plurals, and often with mamma and papà (la mia mamma, il mio papà):

• le mie sorelle — my sisters
• i miei fratelli — my brothers

Useful sentences

• Ho due fratelli e una sorella. — I have two brothers and one sister.
• Mia nonna abita a Napoli. — My grandmother lives in Naples.
• Sono figlio unico. — I'm an only child (m.). Sono figlia unica. (f.)
• Sono sposato / sposata. — I'm married.

Tips

1. Drop the article with singular family members.
2. Learn genitori vs parenti.
3. Use the dictionary for gender and plural forms.

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