filia
[ˈfiː.li.a]feminine
The English word daughter is translated into Latin as filia or nata.
Meaning: female offspring (noun)
Ways to say it
| Latin | IPA | Note |
|---|---|---|
| filia | [ˈfiː.li.a] (Classical Latin, narrow) [ˈfiː.li.a] (narrow) |
feminine |
| nata | [ˈnaː.ta] (Classical Latin, narrow) [ˈnaː.ta] (narrow) |
feminine |
The word is used to refer to a female offspring.
Which one should you use?
filia is the standard term for a daughter, typically used to denote a legal or biological relationship within a family structure. In contrast, nata is a more poetic or descriptive term that literally refers to a girl who has been born.
How does it change in a sentence?
The genitive singular form of filia is filiae, which is used to indicate possession, such as 'of the daughter' or 'to the daughter'. When the daughters are the direct object of a verb, use the accusative plural form filias.
Did you know?
- Latin once had a word for daughter similar to the English 'daughter' and the Oscan futír, but it was completely replaced by filia.
- In Roman law, a filia lived under patria potestas, the legal power her father held over the household.
- The word nata is the feminine form of the past participle of the verb 'to be born', making the term for daughter literally mean 'one who was born'.
Examples in context
- Ubi est filia mea?Where is my daughter?This sentence shows how to ask for the location of your filia.Tatoeba #11481894 by shekitten, translation #11026652 by Aghlimas83
- Filia tua ut valet?How's your daughter?This sentence is a way to ask how your filia is doing.Tatoeba #4090610 by alexmarcelo, translation #4087637 by CK
- Ut filia tua valet?How is your daughter?This sentence is another way to ask how your filia is doing.Tatoeba #5875129 by alexmarcelo, translation #3163796 by CK
- Toto corde diligo te, filicula mea.I love you, my little daughter.
- 110 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
A man and a woman are discussing family members in a garden.
- LuciusFilia tua bona est.Your daughter is good.
- AureliaGratias tibi ago.I thank you.
- LuciusUbi est filia tua?Where is your daughter?
- AureliaFilia mea in horto est.My daughter is in the garden.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “daughter” translations and entries filia, nata, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries filia, nata, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
