fratelli
The English phrase 'siblings' is translated into Italian as fratelli.
fratelli is used to refer to people who share the same parents, covering both brothers and sisters. While you can use fratelli to mean siblings in general, Italians frequently use the phrase fratelli e sorelle to explicitly specify 'brothers and sisters' and avoid any ambiguity.
Which one should you use?
fratelli is the masculine plural form used for a mixed-gender group of siblings. In contrast, sorelle is the feminine plural form and refers specifically to a group consisting only of sisters.
Is it said differently in some regions?
In certain southern regions of Italy, such as Sicily, the word frateddi can be used instead of fratelli to refer to brothers.
How does it change in a sentence?
The masculine plural form fratelli is the standard way to refer to a group of siblings of different genders.
What mistakes should you avoid?
Avoid using the singular fratello to mean 'sibling' in general. This word specifically means 'brother'.
Did you know?
- The word fratellanza derives from fratello and is used to describe 'brotherhood' or a sense of solidarity and kinship between people who are not related by blood.
- The word fratello is often used in religious contexts to mean 'brother' in a spiritual sense, such as a member of a religious order.
- In old Italian literature and formal addresses, fratelli was often used to address a crowd of citizens or compatriots to evoke a sense of national unity.
Examples in context
- Non ha fratelli e sorelle.She doesn't have any siblings.This sentence uses fratelli to show how to say someone has no siblings.Tatoeba #1805158 by Guybrush88, translation #922056 by CH
- Quanti fratelli o sorelle hai?How many siblings do you have?This sentence uses fratelli to ask about the number of siblings someone has.Tatoeba #700294 by Guybrush88, translation #69564 by CK
- Sami e Layla sono fratelli di latte.Sami and Layla are milk siblings.This sentence uses fratelli to describe milk siblings.Tatoeba #13272581 by Guybrush88, translation #7347920 by OsoHombre
- I miei fratelli sono molto simpatici.My brothers are very nice.
- Ho una grande famiglia con molti fratelli e sorelle.I have a large family with many brothers and sisters.
- Andiamo al parco con i nostri fratelli e sorelle.Let's go to the park with our brothers and sisters.
- 19 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Matteo and Chiara are talking about their families.
- MatteoHai molti fratelli, Chiara?Do you have many siblings, Chiara?
- ChiaraNo, ho solo un fratello.No, I only have one brother.
- MatteoIo invece ho tre fratelli.I, on the other hand, have three siblings.
- ChiaraDavvero? Che bella famiglia!Really? What a lovely family!
Sources
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
