cognato
/koɲˈɲa.to/
The Italian phrase for brother-in-law is cognato.
The term cognato is used to refer to the brother of one's spouse or the husband of one's sibling.
How does it change in a sentence?
The plural form cognati is used when referring to multiple brothers-in-law, or to a mixed-gender group consisting of both brothers-in-law and sisters-in-law.
How do you pronounce it?
The word has 3 syllables, with the stress on the 2nd syllable. The IPA is /koɲˈɲa.to/.
Did you know?
- The word cognato literally means 'born together' from its Latin roots. This stems from the combination of cum meaning 'with' and nātus meaning 'born'.
- The term cognato is closely linked to the English word 'cognate'. While an English speaker uses 'cognate' to describe words with a shared ancestor, an Italian uses cognato to describe a family member by marriage.
- Unlike English, which uses the same 'in-law' suffix for many relations, Italian uses entirely different roots for cognato (brother-in-law) and suocero (father-in-law).
Examples in context
- Ho incontrato tuo cognato ieri.I met your brother-in-law yesterday.
- Il mio cognato vive a Roma.My brother-in-law lives in Rome.
Example conversation
Matteo and Sofia are talking about family members during a coffee break.
- MatteoCome sta tuo cognato?How is your brother-in-law?
- SofiaSta bene, grazie.He is well, thanks.
- MatteoÈ un bravo uomo.He is a good man.
- SofiaSì, è molto gentile.Yes, he is very kind.
Sources
- Pronunciation: Wiktionary entry cognato, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries cognato, CC BY-SA 4.0.
