La famiglia in italiano: A1 essentials to talk about your relatives

Imagine you’re at a friendly dinner in Rome. Someone asks, “Parlami della tua famiglia!” You smile—this is your chance. In this lesson, you’ll learn essential Italian family vocabulary, how to say “my,” “your,” etc. with family words, and simple phrases to introduce your relatives. Let’s make those conversations easy and natural!

Core family words you’ll use all the time

Family words in Italian are very common in intros and small talk. Start with these:

  • la madre / la mamma – mother / mom
  • il padre / il papà – father / dad
  • i genitori – parents
  • il fratello – brother; la sorella – sister
  • il nonno – grandfather; la nonna – grandmother
  • lo zio – uncle; la zia – aunt
  • il cugino / la cugina – male/female cousin
  • il figlio / la figlia – son/daughter
  • il marito – husband; la moglie – wife
  • il nipote / la nipote – grandson/granddaughter OR nephew/niece (context matters)

Tip: “mamma” and “papà” are affectionate, very common in everyday speech.

madre
mother
noun (f)
Mia madre lavora in una scuola.
My mother works in a school.
padre
father
noun (m)
Mio padre cucina spesso la domenica.
My father often cooks on Sundays.
genitori
parents
noun (m, pl)
I miei genitori vivono a Torino.
My parents live in Turin.
fratello
brother
noun (m)
Ho un fratello maggiore.
I have an older brother.
sorella
sister
noun (f)
Mia sorella studia medicina.
My sister studies medicine.
nonno
grandfather
noun (m)
Il mio nonno racconta storie bellissime.
My grandfather tells beautiful stories.
zia
aunt
noun (f)
La mia zia è molto simpatica.
My aunt is very nice.
cugino
male cousin
noun (m)
Il mio cugino suona la chitarra.
My cousin plays the guitar.
nipote
grandson/granddaughter OR nephew/niece
noun (m/f)
La mia nipote ha tre anni.
My granddaughter/niece is three years old.

Gender and plural patterns

  • Masculine often ends in -o (fratello → fratelli).
  • Feminine often ends in -a (sorella → sorelle).
  • Plural masculine is usually -i; plural feminine is -e.
  • Some are irregular or fixed plural: i genitori (parents) only plural.

Let’s practice basic sentences with these words.

Italian
Ho due sorelle e un fratello.
Lit: I have two sisters and a brother.
I have two sisters and one brother.
Italian
La mia famiglia è grande.
Lit: My family is big.
My family is big.

madre è italiana.

genitori vivono vicino.

Come si chiama fratello?

Introduce your relatives: “si chiama…”

To say someone’s name, use the reflexive verb “chiamarsi” (to be called).

  • Mia madre si chiama Anna.
  • Mio fratello si chiama Luca.

Present tense of chiamarsi

chiamarsi Presente
Pronoun Conjugation
io chiamo
tu chiami
lui/lei chiama
noi chiamiamo
voi chiamate
loro chiamano
Italian
Mia nonna si chiama Teresa.
Lit: My grandmother calls herself Teresa.
My grandmother is called Teresa.
🔠 Put the words in order

Start with subject + possessive (I miei fratelli…).

Short conversation: Talking about family

Put it together in a mini-dialogue. Reorder the lines to make a natural conversation.

💬 At a dinner party

Quick check: meanings and forms

🧠 Family words & possessives
Il mio padre è simpatico. → Mio padre è simpatico. No article for singular family members (except with loro, or with adjectives). Ho due sorella. → Ho due sorelle. Plural feminine ends in -e.

Culture corner: How Italians talk about family

  • “mamma” and “papà” are warm, everyday words for mother and father.
  • Using “zio/zia” as a friendly title is common in some families/regions.
  • Formal vs informal: with older people you don’t know well, you might use Lei (formal “you”) instead of tu.

Example: “Sua madre, signora Rossi?” is formal; “Tua mamma?” is informal.

bis prefix (great-) nonno root (grandfather)
Italian
Il bisnonno di Luca ha 95 anni.
Lit: The great-grandfather of Luca has 95 years.
Luca’s great-grandfather is 95 years old.

Mini practice: build your own sentences

Try these patterns:

  • Mio/La mia + family member + si chiama + name.
  • Ho + number + family member (in plural).

Model answers:

  • Mio fratello si chiama Carlo.
  • Ho due zii e tre cugini.

zii abitano a Napoli.

🔠 Put the words in order

Subject before verb; reflexive si chiama in the middle.

Your turn

Think of two relatives. Say their names and one detail.

  • Mio padre si chiama Paolo. Lavora in banca.
  • Mia sorella si chiama Elena. Studia inglese.

Bravo! Keep going

You now know the most useful Italian family words, how to use possessives, and a simple verb to introduce names. Keep practicing with real conversations—ask a friend: “Com’è la tua famiglia?” and answer with confidence!