nipote
/niˈpo.te/feminine
The Italian word for niece is nipote.
The word nipote is used to refer to a niece (the daughter of one's brother or sister).
Meaning: fraternal or sororal niece (noun)
Which one should you use?
The word nipote is used for both a niece/nephew and a grandchild, so context is required to distinguish between them in a sentence. If you are referring to a group of nieces, a group of nephews or a mixed-gender group of both, you use the plural form nipoti.
How does it change in a sentence?
While nipote is the form for niece, it is a common noun that can be masculine or feminine depending on the gender of the person being referred to. The plural form nipoti covers all genders and combinations of nieces and nephews.
How do you pronounce it?
The word has 3 syllables, with the stress on the 2nd syllable: /niˈpo.te/.
Did you know?
- Because nipote can mean grandchild, Italians often specify nipote in linea retta for grandchildren and nipote in linea collaterale for nieces and nephews in legal documents.
- The word nipote is a cognate of the Persian word نوه, which also means 'grandchild'.
- In Italian, the word nipote can refer to a great-granddaughter, further expanding its meaning beyond just nieces and grandchildren.
Examples in context
- Mary è mia nipote.Mary's my niece.This sentence is useful for identifying a specific person as your nipote.Tatoeba #3176183 by Guybrush88, translation #1841597 by CK
- Non ho una nipote.I don't have a niece.This sentence is useful for expressing that you do not have a nipote.Tatoeba #8683802 by Guybrush88, translation #2361186 by CK
- È tua nipote, vero?She's your niece, isn't she?This sentence is useful for asking for confirmation about someone being a nipote.Tatoeba #8734051 by Guybrush88, translation #8527099 by CH
- Mi presento, sono il tuo nuovo zio. Questa è mia nipote, Maria.Let me introduce myself, I'm your new uncle. This is my niece, Maria.
- Mi piace passare del tempo con la mia nipotina.I love spending time with my niece.
- 19 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Sofia and Lorenzo are talking about family at a cafe.
- SofiaHai una nipote?Do you have a niece?
- LorenzoSì, ho una nipote di cinque anni.Yes, I have a five-year-old niece.
- SofiaChe bella età!What a lovely age!
- LorenzoSì, è molto vivace.Yes, she is very lively.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “niece” translations and entries nipote, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries nipote, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
