la famiglia
/la faˈmiʎ.ʎa/word by word
The English phrase "the family" is translated into Italian as la famiglia.
la famiglia is the most general and standard expression used to refer to a group of people who are related by blood or marriage.
Which one should you use?
While la famiglia is the standard term, you may encounter other expressions depending on the context. Il nucleo familiare is used to emphasize the familial unit as a whole, whereas la parentela is a suitable term when referring to extended family.
How does it change in a sentence?
famiglia is a feminine noun, which is why it uses the feminine article la. The plural form of the phrase is le famiglie.
How do you pronounce it?
The pronunciation of la famiglia is /la faˈmiʎ.ʎa/. It has 3 syllables, and the stress is on the 2nd syllable.
Did you know?
- The word famiglia stems from the Latin word for 'household servants' or 'domestic staff'. Originally, it described the group of people serving a master rather than blood relatives.
- While la famiglia is the general term, the Italian concept of 'family' often extends far more broadly to include godparents and close lifelong friends who are treated as blood relatives.
- The Italian word for 'family' shares a linguistic root with the English word 'familiar', as both stem from the Latin idea of the household.
Examples in context
- Come sta la famiglia?How is the family doing?This example shows how to ask about the well-being of the family using la famiglia.Tatoeba #730099 by Guybrush88, translation #730098 by CK
- Tom conosce la famiglia.Tom knows the family.This example uses la famiglia to indicate that someone is acquainted with them.Tatoeba #4589527 by Guybrush88, translation #2646925 by CK
- Ha salutato la famiglia.He greeted the family.This example uses la famiglia to describe the act of greeting them.Tatoeba #13421662 by Guybrush88, translation #12845010 by Ussis
- La famiglia di Anna vive nel nord Italia.Anna's family lives in northern Italy.
- Il nucleo familiare di Roberto è composto da lui, sua moglie e i loro due figli.Roberto's family consists of him, his wife, and their two children.
- La parentela di Maria si estende fino ai cugini di secondo grado.Maria's family extends to second cousins.
- 38 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Giulia and Francesco are talking about a weekend trip.
- GiuliaVieni a cena con la famiglia?Are you coming to dinner with the family?
- FrancescoSì, arriviamo tra dieci minuti.Yes, we will arrive in ten minutes.
- GiuliaOttimo, aspettiamo tutta la famiglia.Great, we are waiting for the whole family.
- FrancescoA presto, Giulia!See you soon, Giulia!
Sources
- IPA marked “word by word” joins the Wiktionary pronunciations of each word (la, famiglia) and can differ in connected speech.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries famiglia, la, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
