Asking about someones family: Asking about someone's kids and their ages
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Key Phrases
Saluti formali e chiedere come sta (forma di Lei)
Formal greetings and asking how someone is (Lei form)
Parlare dei figli: possessivi, età e classe scolastica
Talking about children: possessives, ages, and school grade
Espressioni di saluto e chiusura cortese
Polite closings and leave-taking expressions
Skills You'll Learn
Using formal 'Lei' address in polite conversation
Usare la forma formale 'Lei' in una conversazione cortese
Asking and stating ages and family details
Chiedere e dire l'età e dettagli sulla famiglia
Expressing necessity with 'devo' and closing a conversation politely
Esprimere necessità con 'devo' e concludere una conversazione in modo cortese
Lesson Roleplay
Imagine you're walking through a sunny piazza in a small Italian town one morning when you spot a friendly neighbor with her two young children. You stop to greet her politely, using the formal 'Lei', and chat about her kids: their names, their ages, and whether they go to school. You also share a little about your own family before saying goodbye and continuing on your way.
Buongiorno, signora! Come sta?
Good morning, ma'am! How are you?
Buongiorno! Bene, grazie. E Lei?
Good morning! Fine, thank you. And you?
Bene, grazie. Sono i Suoi bambini?
Fine, thanks. Are those your children?
Sì, sono i miei figli, Marco e Giulia.
Yes, they're my kids, Marco and Giulia.
Che carini! Quanti anni hanno?
How cute! How old are they?
Lesson Vocabulary & Phrases
Buongiorno, signora!
bwohn-JOR-noh see-nyoh-rah
Good morning, ma'am!
🇮🇹 Buongiorno works until mid-afternoon; after that Italians switch to buonasera. Adding signora makes it polite and warm, which suits a neighbour or a parent at the school gate.
See breakdown →Come sta?
KOH-meh stah
How are you? (formal)
💬 sta is the polite form for "you"; with a friend you'd say come stai?. The same verb stare is used for health and mood, not essere.
See breakdown →Bene, grazie.
BEH-neh GRAHT-tsee-eh
Fine, thank you.
E Lei?
eh LAY
And you? (formal)
💬 Lei is literally "she", but with a capital letter (or just in a polite exchange) it means the formal "you". The friendly version is e tu?.
See breakdown →I Suoi bambini
ee SWOY bahm-BEE-nee
Your children
💬 Italian keeps the article before "your": i Suoi bambini, literally "the your children". Same with i miei figli "my children" and la Sua casa "your house".
See breakdown →Sono i Suoi bambini?
SOH-noh ee SWOY bahm-BEE-nee
Are those your children? (formal)
🇮🇹 Complimenting or asking about someone's children is a very natural way to start chatting with a stranger in Italy. Parents usually welcome it.
See breakdown →Sono i miei figli
SOH-noh ee miey FEEL-yee
They're my children
💬 figli covers sons and daughters together, while bambini just means "kids" of any family. One son is figlio, one daughter figlia.
See breakdown →Marco e Giulia
Mar-ko eh JOO-lyah
Marco and Giulia
Sì, sono i miei figli, Marco e Giulia.
see SOH-noh ee miey FEEL-yee Mar-ko eh JOO-lyah
Yes, they're my kids, Marco and Giulia.
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