How to Say “Aunt and Uncle” in Italian

By •
zia e zio
/ˈd͡zi.a ˈe ˈd͡zi.o/word by word
The English phrase "aunt and uncle" is translated into Italian as zia e zio.
This phrase is used to refer to the siblings of one's parents.

How do you pronounce it?

The phrase is pronounced as /ˈdzi.a ˈe ˈdzi.o/. It consists of 5 syllables, with the stress on the first syllable.

Did you know?

  • While zio means 'uncle', in some Italian youth slang it is used like 'dude' or 'mate' to address a peer.
  • In many Italian families, the terms zia and zio are used affectionately for close female or male friends of one's parents, even if no blood relation exists.
  • The word zia is derived from the Ancient Greek word theía.

Example conversation

Martina and Matteo are talking about their weekend plans.

  1. Martina

    Andrai alla festa di sabato?
    Will you go to the party on Saturday?
  2. Matteo

    Sì, vengono anche mia zia e zio.
    Yes, my aunt and uncle are coming too.
  3. Martina

    Che bello! Non li vedo da anni.
    How lovely! I haven't seen them for years.
  4. Matteo

    Saranno felici di rivedere te, Martina.
    They will be happy to see you again, Martina.

Sources

  • IPA marked “word by word” joins the Wiktionary pronunciations of each word (zia, e, zio) and can differ in connected speech.
  • Word origins: Wiktionary entries e, zia, zio, CC BY-SA 4.0.
⭐Share⭐ to appreciate human effort 🙏
Susie Monica
Susie MonicaHelp make this guide better. Spot a mistake, know another way to say it, or have an example from real life? Share it below.
guest
0 Comments
Newest
Oldest Most Voted
Scroll to Top