NOTES
(by DuoItalian)

As a general rule, possessive adjectives are preceded by an article and this is still the case when discussing family members in the plural.  However, the article is NOT used with family members in the singular.

  • Mio padre è un idraulico. (My father is a plumber.)
  • Mia sorella e tuo fratello sono amici. (My sister and your brother are friends.)

  • I miei genitori mangiano frutta. (My parents eat fruit).
  • I tuoi fratelli sono entrambi alti. (Your brothers are both tall.)

Another confusing caveat to this however, is that the definite article IS still used with singular nouns that are variations of the basic form:

  • il papà (dad)
  • la mamma (mom)
  • il fratellino (little brother)

TIPS: While nonno (grandfather) and nonna (grandmother) are most commonly used, you can also refer to grandparents as nonnino and nonnina.

Some of us are fortunate enough to also have a bisnonno (great grandfather) and a bisnonna (great grandmother).


VOCABULARY
(from Duolingo)
la famigliafamily
la madremother
il padrefather
il fratellobrother
la sorellasister
il genitoreparent
il figlioson
la figliadaughter
il maritohusband
la mogliewife
lo ziouncle
la ziaaunt
il cuginocousin
il nipotenephew, niece, grandchild
il nonnograndfather
la nonnagrandmother
il bisnonnogreat grandfather
la bisnonnagreat grandmother
il nomename
il cognomesurname
il papàdad
la mammamom
il suocerofather-in-law
la suoceramother-in-law
il generoson-in-law
la nuoradaughter-in-law

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