nonni
The English phrase "grandparents" is translated into Italian as nonni.
The term nonni refers to the parents of a person's father or mother.
Which one should you use?
nonni is the standard word for grandparents, but it is also the correct form to use when referring specifically to a group of only male grandfathers. If you are referring to a mixed-gender pair of one grandmother and one grandfather, you also use nonni.
How does it change in a sentence?
The word is the masculine plural form. For individual forms, use nonna for a grandmother (singular feminine) and nonno for a grandfather (singular masculine).
Did you know?
- Italian has a specific term nonni acquisiti to describe grandparents by marriage, such as the parents of a spouse.
- The role of nonni in Italy is culturally significant to the point that they are often the primary childcare providers while parents work, a role known as the 'social safety net'.
- The word nonno can also be used as a slang term in some contexts to describe an old or outdated object, similar to calling something 'an old man' in English.
Examples in context
- Amo i miei nonni.I love my grandparents.This sentence is useful for expressing affection for your nonni.Tatoeba #11229812 by Guybrush88, translation #11229805 by ddnktr
- Dove sono i tuoi nonni?Where are your grandparents?This sentence is useful for asking about the location of someone's nonni.Tatoeba #7478615 by Guybrush88, translation #7467324 by CK
- Come stanno i tuoi nonni?How are your grandparents?This sentence is useful for inquiring about the well-being of someone's nonni.Tatoeba #3647212 by Guybrush88, translation #2644566 by CK
- Buongiorno, nonni! Come state?Good morning, grandparents! How are you?
- Buon compleanno, nonna e nonno!Happy birthday, grandma and grandpa!
- 43 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Alessandro and Giulia are talking about their weekend plans.
- AlessandroVado a trovare i miei nonni.I am going to visit my grandparents.
- GiuliaChe bello! Dove abitano i tuoi nonni?That's lovely! Where do your grandparents live?
- AlessandroAbitano in un piccolo paese in Toscana.They live in a small village in Tuscany.
- GiuliaSpero che tu faccia un buon viaggio.I hope you have a good trip.
Sources
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
