In this free Italian lesson, you’ll learn words for describing your family.
At the bottom of the page you’ll find a link to some exercises, so you can check what you know.
And if you still have the time and the motivation, why not draw your family tree?
Use the words on this page to label everyone in it, their relationship to you and yours to them.
FALSE FRIEND ALERT!
‘Parents’ in English is ‘genitori’ in Italian, whereas ‘parenti’ in Italian is ‘relatives’ in English.
i parenti [relatives]
la famiglia [family]
una coppia [couple]
il matrimonio [marriage]
i genitori [parents]
la madre (mamma) [mother]
il padre (papà) [father]
il figlio [son]
i figli [sons, also ‘sons and daughters, as Italians generalize with the masculine plural]
la figlia [daughter]
le figlie [daughters]
il figlio unico [only child, male]
la figlia unica [only child, female]
il figlio adottivo [adopted son]
la figlia adottiva [adopted daughter]
il patrigno [stepfather]
la matrigna [stepmother]
il figliastro [stepson]
la figliastra [stepdaughter]
il marito [husband]
la moglie [wife]
i suoceri [parents-in-law]
il suocero [father-in-law]
la suocera [mother-in-law]
il genero [son-in-law]
la nuora [daughter-in-law]
il fratello [brother]
i fratelli [brothers, but also ‘brothers and sisters, as Italians generalize with the masculine plural]
la sorella [sister]
le sorelle [sisters]
il cognato [brother-in-law]
la cognata [sister-in-law]
lo zio [uncle]
gli zii [uncles, but also ‘uncles and aunts’ as…]
la zia [aunt]
le zie [aunts]
il / la nipote [‘nephew/niece’, but also ‘grandso/granddaughter’]
i nipoti [‘nephews and nieces’, but also ‘grandsons and granddaughters’]
il cugino [cousin]
la cugina [cousin]
i nonni [grandparents]
il nonno [grandfather]
la nonna [grandmother]
il bisnonno [great-grandfather]
la bisnonna [great-grandmother]
il / la nipote [‘nephew/niece’, but also ‘grandson/granddaughter’]
i nipoti [‘nephews and nieces’, but also ‘grandsons and granddaughters’]
