Italian flag

Why 'i miei figli' can include daughters

English has neutral words for mixed family groups: children, siblings, grandparents, parents-in-law. Italian mostly does not. It uses the masculine plural of the male word instead. Figli can mean sons, but it is also the normal word for children. Fratelli can mean brothers or siblings. Nonni is the usual word for grandparents, and zii can mean uncles or aunts and uncles together.

This trips up English speakers in two ways. When you hear ho tre fratelli, you may picture three brothers when one of them is actually a sister. When you speak, you may look for a separate word for siblings or for children of both sexes, and there usually isn't one. You do not need one. The masculine plural does the job.

Word list
adultomA1 adult gli adulti = adults of both sexes, or adult men; le adulte = adult women bambinomA1 child i bambini = children or boys; le bambine = girls figliomA1 child i figli = children or sons; le figlie = daughters figliomA1 son i figli = children or sons; le figlie = daughters fratellomA1 brother i fratelli = siblings or brothers; le sorelle = sisters genitorimA1 parents i genitori = parents (mother and father together) nipoteA1 grandchild i nipoti = grandchildren or grandsons; le nipoti = granddaughters nonnimA1 grandparents i nonni = grandparents or grandfathers; le nonne = grandmothers nonnomA1 grandfather i nonni = grandparents or grandfathers; le nonne = grandmothers ragazzomA1 boy i ragazzi = young people or boys; le ragazze = girls ziomA1 uncle gli zii = aunts and uncles, or uncles; le zie = aunts bimbomA2 baby i bimbi = little kids (boys and girls), or little boys; le bimbe = little girls cuginomA2 cousin i cugini = cousins of both sexes, or male cousins; le cugine = female cousins nipoteA2 nephew i nipoti = nephews and nieces, or nephews; le nipoti = nieces nipoteA2 niece i nipoti = nephews and nieces, or nephews; le nipoti = nieces parenteA2 relative i parenti = relatives of both sexes, or male relatives; le parenti = female relatives principemA2 prince i principi = prince and princess, or princes; le principesse = princesses fidanzatomB1 fiancé i fidanzati = engaged couple, or fiancés; le fidanzate = fiancées gemellomB1 twin i gemelli = twins of both sexes, or twin boys; le gemelle = twin girls neonatomB1 baby i neonati = newborns of both sexes, or baby boys; le neonate = newborn girls antenatomB2 ancestor gli antenati = ancestors of both sexes, or male ancestors; le antenate = female ancestors cognatomB2 brother-in-law i cognati = in-law siblings, or brothers-in-law; le cognate = sisters-in-law discendenteB2 descendant i discendenti = descendants of both sexes; le discendenti = female descendants figliastromB2 stepson i figliastri = stepchildren or stepsons; le figliastre = stepdaughters figlio di mezzomB2 middle child i figli di mezzo = middle children (boys or girls); la figlia di mezzo = middle daughter figlio unicomB2 only child i figli unici = only children (boys and girls); le figlie uniche = only daughters fratellastromB2 stepbrother i fratellastri = stepsiblings or stepbrothers; le sorellastre = stepsisters fratellastromB2 half brother i fratellastri = half-siblings or half brothers; le sorellastre = half-sisters mezzo fratellomB2 half brother i mezzi fratelli = half-siblings or half brothers; le mezze sorelle = half sisters padrinomB2 godfather i padrini = godparents or godfathers; le madrine = godmothers suoceromB2 father-in-law i suoceri = parents-in-law or fathers-in-law; le suocere = mothers-in-law bisnonnomC1 great-grandfather i bisnonni = great-grandparents or great-grandfathers; le bisnonne = great-grandmothers figliocciomC1 godson i figliocci = godchildren or godsons; le figliocce = goddaughters orfanomC1 orphan gli orfani = orphans of both sexes, or male orphans; le orfane = female orphans primogenitomC1 first-born i primogeniti = first-born children of both sexes, or first-born sons vedovomC1 widower i vedovi = widowed people (widows and widowers), or widowers; le vedove = widows coniugeC2 spouse i coniugi = husband and wife, the married couple; il coniuge = spouse of either sex sposomC2 spouse gli sposi = bride and groom, or grooms; le spose = brides trisavolomC2 great-great-grandfather i trisavoli = great-great-grandparents; le trisavole = great-great-grandmothers trisnonnomC2 great-great-grandfather i trisnonni = great-great-grandparents; le trisnonne = great-great-grandmothers
How it works

In Italian, a group that includes at least one male is grammatically masculine. Family words follow this rule, so the masculine plural covers mixed groups. Only the context tells you whether the group is all male or mixed.

Here is the rule of thumb. The masculine plural (i figli, gli zii) can refer to men only or to a mix. The feminine plural (le figlie, le zie) refers to women only. When a speaker means a mixed group, they simply use the masculine plural and add details if needed.

Ho due figli: una femmina e un maschio.
(I have two children: a girl and a boy.)
Hai fratelli? Sì, un fratello e una sorella.
(Do you have any siblings? Yes, a brother and a sister.)
The words
Children, siblings and the next generation

Figlio and fratello are the everyday cases. The step and half forms work the same way: figliastri can include stepdaughters, and fratellastri can include stepsisters or half-sisters. Gemelli can describe a boy and a girl born together. Nipote is a special case, because the singular is the same for both sexes (il nipote, la nipote). It means grandchild, nephew or niece. I nipoti can therefore be grandsons and granddaughters, or nephews and nieces. Pronipote works the same way.

Mia madre ha cinque nipoti: tre maschi e due femmine.
(My mother has five grandchildren: three boys and two girls.)
I gemelli si chiamano Luca e Sara.
(The twins are called Luca and Sara.)
Older generations

Nonno gives nonni, the normal word for grandparents. Further back you have bisnonno (great-grandfather), trisnonno and the more formal trisavolo (great-great-grandfather). Each plural covers both sexes, as do antenati (ancestors) and discendenti (descendants).

I miei nonni abitano a Napoli.
(My grandparents live in Naples.)
The wider family

Zio, cugino, cognato and suocero all follow the pattern. Parente (relative) is like nipote: one form for both sexes, and i parenti for a mixed group.

A Natale vengono tutti gli zii e i cugini.
(All the aunts, uncles and cousins are coming at Christmas.)
Domenica pranziamo con i miei suoceri.
(On Sunday we're having lunch with my parents-in-law.)
I miei cognati vivono a Milano.
(My brother-in-law and sister-in-law live in Milan.)
Couples and other groups

A plural often names a man and a woman as a pair. Gli sposi are the bride and groom, i fidanzati are an engaged couple, and i principi can be a prince and princess. Genitori (parents) is used the same way. Outside the family, bambino and ragazzo also follow the pattern: i bambini are children and i ragazzi are kids or young people of either sex.

Gli sposi escono dalla chiesa.
(The bride and groom are coming out of the church.)
I bambini giocano in giardino.
(The children are playing in the garden.)
Watch out

A masculine plural can include women, but it does not have to. I miei fratelli may be all brothers. If it matters, Italians make it clear with words such as maschi or femmine, or by naming the people.

Ho tre figli maschi.
(I have three sons.)

For an all-female group, switch to the feminine plural. With nipote and parente only the article changes.

Le mie nipoti sono tutte e due all'università.
(My two nieces are both at university.)

One more everyday shortcut: i miei, with no noun, usually means my parents.

Stasera ceno dai miei.
(Tonight I'm having dinner at my parents'.)
Summary

For a mixed family group, use the masculine plural: figli for children, fratelli for siblings, nonni for grandparents, zii for aunts and uncles, suoceri for parents-in-law. That plural can also mean men only, so read the context. Use the feminine plural only when everyone in the group is female.