Questa è la mia famiglia
The English phrase 'this is my family' is translated into Italian as Questa è la mia famiglia.
For a more casual setting among friends or peers, you might instead say Ti presento la mia famiglia, which means 'I introduce you to my family'.
What does it mean word for word?
The phrase literally translates to 'This is the my family' because Italian requires the definite article la (the) before possessive adjectives like mia (my).
Which one should you use?
Questa è la mia famiglia refers to the family as a single unit. If you want to specifically point out the individual members of the family, you would use Questi sono i miei familiari (These are my family members).
How does it change in a sentence?
Even if you are introducing multiple people, you use the singular Questa è (This is) because famiglia is a singular collective noun.
Did you know?
- The word famiglia shares its roots with the Latin word for 'servants' or 'domestic staff'.
- In Italy, introducing one's family often involves a specific sequence of hierarchy, typically introducing elders first as a sign of respect.
- When saying Questa è la mia famiglia, an Italian speaker might use a hand gesture to encompass the whole group, signaling a unified collective.
Examples in context
- Questa è la mia famiglia.This is my family.Tatoeba #5385106 by Guybrush88, translation #2648419 by CK
- Ti presento la mia famiglia: mio nonno Giuseppe, mia nonna Anna, mio zio Marco, mia zia Laura, e mio cugino Luca.I introduce you to my family: my grandfather Giuseppe, my grandmother Anna, my uncle Marco, my aunt Laura, and my cousin Luca.
- Questa è la mia famiglia, e sono molto felice.This is my family, and I am very happy.
- Guarda la foto: questa è la mia famiglia.Look at the photo: this is my family.
Example conversation
Giulia shows a photo to Alessandro during a coffee break.
- GiuliaQuesta è la mia famiglia, Alessandro.This is my family, Alessandro.
- AlessandroSono tutti molto simpatici!They all look very nice!
- GiuliaGrazie, sono persone molto speciali per me.Thank you, they are very special people to me.
- AlessandroSi vede che siete molto uniti.It shows that you are very close.
Sources
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries famiglia, la, questa, è, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
