Learn Italian: a beginner's journey

Learning the names of family members is one of the most important first steps when learning a new language. In Italian, family terms can be slightly different from those in other languages, so it is important to know them well.  In this article we will look at the most common terms and use them in simple sentences to help you remember them. Kinship terms Let's start by exploring the Italian vocabulary related to family. This list will introduce you to the most common terms related to family and will help you to describe your family relationships. Here is a list of the most common kinship terms: Padre / Father  Papà / Dad Mamma / Mum Madre / Mother Fratello / Brother Sorella / Sister Nonno / Grandfather Nonna / Grandmother Zio / Uncle Zia / Aunt Cugino / Cousin (male) Cugina / Cousin (female) Figlio / Son Figlia / Daughter Marito / Husband Moglie  / Wife Genitori / Parents (father and mother together) Figli / Children (plural of son/daughter) Possessive adjecti...

We are going to talk about possessive adjectives in Italian.  Possessive adjectives are words that tell us who owns something. In Italian, possessive adjectives change depending on the person (io, tu, lui/lei, noi, voi, loro) and the gender and number of the noun they refer to. When to use possessive adjectives 1. With articles : possessive adjectives usually take the definite article .  For example Il mio libro  La mia penna   2. Exceptions for family members : - Singular: We do not use the article with family members in the singular unless there is an adjective after the noun. For example Lei è mia sorella (she is my sister) Lei è la mia sorella preferita (she is my favourite sister) - Plural : When we refer to family members in the plural , we must use the article . For example I miei fratelli  Le nostre sorelle  3. Loro (they): 'loro' always takes the article, whether singular or plural. For example:   La loro casa (their house). Le loro...