Italian family. Family and life in Italy

The situation in modern Italy regarding the family in last years has changed a lot, but nevertheless, if you ask the Italians themselves what they put in the first place, you will hear - the family. We are starting a big topic in Italian or La famiglia Italiana. For Italians, family is everything. That is why, we will pay enough attention to this topic and study it in detail.
Today we will take the basic vocabulary on the topic - La famiglia Italiana, as well as analyze several types of questions and answers on this topic.

La famiglia Italiana

Parenti - blood relatives

Affini - non-blood relatives

Parentela - kinship

Papà / Padre - dad, father

Mamma / Madre - mother, mother

Genitori - parents, in some cases can be used in the meaning of "fathers" (fathers and children - genetori e figli)

Patrigno - foster father, stepfather

Marito - husband, husband

Moglie - wife, spouse

Figlio - son

Figlia - daughter

Nuora - adopted daughter

Figliastro - stepson

Fratello - brother

Sorella - sister

Sorellastra - half sister

Fratellastro - half brother

Cugino - cousin, cousin

Cugina- cousin, cousin

Zio - uncle

Zia - aunt

Nipote - nephew

Pronipote - great-grandson, great-nephew

Nonno - grandfather

Nonna - grandmother

Bisnonno - great-grandfather

Bisnonna - great-grandmother

Cognato - brother-in-law (husband's brother); son-in-law (sister's husband); brother-in-law (wife's brother); brother-in-law (husband of sister-in-law)

Cognata - the same thing, only for a girl.

Suocero - son-in-law, father-in-law

Suocera - mother-in-law, mother-in-law.

Ceppo paterno - paternal family

Ceppo materno - maternal lineage

Matrimonio - marriage, marriage.

Divorzio - divorce, dissolution of marriage

Famiglia difatto - the so-called civil marriage, "family in fact." They live together but are not registered.

Singles- English word, means single. Adults who are not in a relationship.

Figli germani - children from complete families born in wedlock.

Figli naturali - children born before marriage.

Questions and phrases that you may encounter in various Italian questionnaires, or that your Italian interlocutor may have during live communication or correspondence on the topic of family:

Stato di famiglia - marital status

(Tu) Sei figlio unico? Are you the only son?

(Tu) Sei figlia unica? Are you the only daughter?

Note that if you are using a non-infinitive verb, then the personal pronoun is optional.

Tu hai fratelli o sorelle? - Do you have any brothers or sisters?

Possible answer:

Si ho due fratelli e tre sorelle. Yes, I have 2 brothers and 3 sisters.
No sono figlio unico. No, I'm an only child.

hai figli? - Do you have children?

Possible answer:

Si, ho due figli. Yes, I have two children.
Ho senza figli. - I have no children.

In Italy, all roads lead to Rome. This saying is widely known. And it is absolutely true, because how is it possible to be in Italy and not visit Rome? As a rule, one day is not enough to "study" the capital. Why is there a day, life is not enough to look into all corners of this eternal city! But you can look into family relationships Italian family.

Italians are very loving and passionate. And you can't argue with this. Even if a person is already well over 60, he is still ready for long and serious relationship. In addition, in Italy, almost all television and radio programs are simply "obsessed" with sexual topics.

For Italians, the family consists primarily of the husband, who is the head of the family, and who is also confident that he makes all the most important decisions in the house. Secondly, from the wife, who actually bears all the burden of responsibility on herself.

If there are children in an Italian family, then the boys are spoiled to the point of disgrace, and they remain firmly attached to their mothers all their lives, even at a fairly respectable age. Girls, on the contrary, are not spoiled at all, because they are considered the future keepers of the hearth, and they must always soberly assess the situation.

A man, on the other hand, will worship his mother all his life, and even being married man, will still visit his parents' house often for lunch or to bring his dirty shirts. Everything related to the family, the Italians take very seriously.

The process of courting a man for a woman can take quite long time, or a sudden feeling may flare up and a wedding is planned in a matter of days. Italian men are very romantic and passionate natures.

In order to win a woman, they are capable of the most reckless acts. The whole courtship process takes place during very beautiful walks, candlelit dinners, joint trips out of town to picturesque places in Italy.

Acquaintance with the parents of both young people takes place in a very friendly and warm atmosphere. True, there is one caveat: the influence of Italian mothers on their daughters or boys is very large, so the main thing is to like and like the mother, and then consider that the main thing is done.

Italians are modern in nature, but in a number of small towns and villages old traditions have been preserved, which are treated with great respect even by those who left their native nest and moved to big cities.

However, all the same, the meetings and acquaintances of the parents of young people are noisy, with abundant conversations and the absorption of national Italian dishes. The rapprochement of both sides happens very quickly if the parents of both young people feel sympathy for each other at first sight.

Italians are famous for their strong families and a close-knit relationship with the family. Moreover, the family for them is not only the closest relatives, but also everyone who is connected with them at least by some family ties.

On holidays or weekends, Italy gathers in full force to celebrate a family event or National holiday, and sometimes visits to relatives begin, which can drag on for a while.

Family ties are so important that it even happens to meet a big family business, in which all relatives who have an idea about business and know how to properly conduct business are involved. It also happens that one of the family members, having got a prestigious job, tries to drag as many of his relatives there as possible.

In Italian families, it is customary to jointly solve all problems or make decisions about weddings, celebrations or the birth of a child. It's happening all over the place family council, which usually gathers at one of the relatives, where sometimes up to three dozen people gather at the common negotiating table.

At the family council, all the most important issues can be discussed, global family problems can be solved, quarrels are not uncommon, accompanied by loud screams and all kinds of outpourings of emotions.

However, the most important thing is that everything that happens in the house will always remain only within its walls and will never go beyond the family. Relatives will never take dirty linen out of the hut, no stranger, even the closest friends, will know about what happened outside the walls of the house during the meeting of the whole family.

The seriousness of the attitude towards the family is even expressed in the fact that Italians always carry with them photographs of their family and their children, both men and women, so that at any moment they can brag to their colleagues about their successes, their strong and friendly family and the success of their charming children.

Every time the children achieve some kind of success, it becomes the main discussion between parents and co-workers. Sons in an Italian family grow up as spoiled children, they are spoiled by everyone, both parents and grandparents, older brothers and sisters.

Boys grow up with the knowledge that they have a very high value in the family. However, actually wise and cunning women Italy only maintain this confidence in them, calmly running the household behind his back as they see fit.

For the man herself main task make your beloved woman happy. He does everything possible so that the family does not need anything and the woman is not constantly loaded with her household chores.

At any opportunity, the spouses must go out of town or spend pleasant evening in a restaurant or cafe, and such exits are not always planned in advance. This is the whole impulsive nature of Italians, especially men, who do everything possible to please the family and have a good time with her.

woman for Italian man is an object of worship for her beauty, her ability to lead household and gratitude for the birth of children. A man will gladly help his wife with household chores, although there is no distribution of responsibilities in families.

A woman remains the keeper of the hearth, she arranges that atmosphere in the house that is able to preserve the warmth of love and closeness of two people living under one roof.

Children for Italians are real flowers of life, which all relatives begin to pamper. However, parents raise their children with respect for national traditions, instill in them a love for the family and family relationships, and also teach them that a man and a woman should treat each other with respect.

In no case should a man put himself above a woman and humiliate her dignity, because the main thing for a man is that his beloved woman and children be happy.

In Italy gossip is the main entertainment. That's right, that's right. Men especially love to gossip. Most likely, the whole point is that Italians are very sociable people. They don't have to talk to absolutely a stranger, moreover, on any topic. What can we say about gossip, especially if there is someone to scratch your tongue with.

Italians don't know how to swear. Who said? Cursing, and how! Italians are a very hot-tempered people, but a real scandal can only break out within their own home or on a TV show.

In Italy, everyone follows fashion. One can argue with this. Basically, there everyone wears what he likes and what he (she) is comfortable in. Moreover, requests from finance practically do not depend. They can afford to buy a thing both in a prestigious boutique and in a simple clothing market.

The people in this country are careless and lazy. Everywhere there are careless and lazy people. But still, in Italy, even if they do something for too long, they try to make temporary conditions that help to endure inconvenience. For example, a break in a central street can interfere with normal pedestrian traffic. In this case, the Italians make special bridges over the pit for pedestrians and fences so as not to fall into this very pit. When the working day comes to an end, the street is washed and temporary asphalt is laid. And after all the work is completed, the street is laid out again with tiles.

The dwellings of Italians are different. In the Alps - an alpine-type house, two- or three-story, with a stone bottom and a wooden top, with an external staircase to the upper floor (later the stairs became internal). In other areas, the house of the Italic or Latin type predominates. These are two-storey stone buildings with a tiled roof. An external staircase leads to the upper floor. Previously, utility rooms were located on the lower floor, now they are placed separately. Small towns are characterized by a cumulus layout, where houses are crowded around the central square. Of course, social contrasts affect the appearance of the dwelling.

The national costume of Italians is distinguished by its brightness and diversity. Men wore pants just below the knees, a white shirt, jacket or sleeveless jacket, women - long skirt in the assembly or in the pleat, a shirt, often embroidered, with wide sleeves, etc. corsage, that is, a short blouse, a colorful apron, a neckerchief and a head scarf. Jewelry was a must. These are the main features national costume, although each locality had its own varieties. Now everywhere they wear modern clothes.

Italian cuisine, unlike the costume, has not changed. What she has in common is the popularity of pasta, rice, cheeses and seafood. Pasta (in Italian - pasta) has about 30 types - spaghetti, vermicelli, bucatini, tagliatelle, etc. There are also many varieties of cheese - ricotto, mozzarella, pecorino, etc. rice dishes can be prepared with different seasonings, and are called risotto. Fruit is widely consumed for dessert. But also each region is famous for some of its dishes. In Liguria - buridda, fish boiled in oil with herbs. In Lombardy, busecca is a tripe soup. In Umbria, mazafegati, pork liver sausages. In Venice, risi e bisi, rice with peas. In Rome - gnocchi alla romana, potato dumplings. Naples is the birthplace of the world famous pizza. Now it is sold all over the world, there are special cafes - pizzerias. In wine production, Italy competes only with France. Basically, these are dry white and red wines, a small proportion of fortified, dessert and sparkling wines. The most famous is Chianti (Tuscany). Marsala in Sicily, lacrima christi in Campania.

Italians prefer coffee and drink White bread. They usually have lunch at home, and those who work far from home bring sandwiches to work. In big cities, trattorias are popular, small restaurants where prices are lower.

Italians have a playful saying about themselves: "If an Italian ties his hands behind his back, he will not be able to speak."Italians have always been distinguished by mobility, liveliness, temperament. They have a sign language, that is, when an Italian speaks, he speaks not only with his mouth, but also with his hands.

Romans in the 19th century were very religious. For the laity, the field of ambition was closed, only priests made a career. The influence of the Catholic Church was strong.

Luxurious balls were given in Rome, better than those of Napoleon. Prince Borghese had 37 halls for this. He gave a ball every Saturday.

The Roman nobility was ruined. Because of laziness to conduct their business, the aristocracy is ruined by the managers. In Venice, she is reduced to beggary.

Another custom introduced by the Spaniards, Chichisbeyism, flourished in the 16th-18th centuries. Many women had a chichisbey, that is, a gentleman with whom she appears in society when her husband is busy with business. If the chichisbey was rich, he promoted the husband, sometimes on the contrary, the rich husband promoted the chichisbey. Napoleon destroyed this custom.

The Romans, seemingly reserved, are in fact violent. A prince who falls in love with a carpenter's wife will be afraid of her husband, as he will simply slaughter him. In any other city, the prince could easily indulge amorous affairs by paying her husband.

According to a 2008 Male Beaut poll, Italians are the most handsome men peace.

I took a somewhat different look at the family foundations in Italy after the story told to me by my neighbor in Milan: if earlier I believed in the unshakable sanctity of family and kinship ties for the inhabitants of the Apennines, now all this holiness sometimes seems to me just tinsel, shabby scenery of a long-dead performance . And statistics argue with life experience.

I have known Jasmine, my downstairs neighbor, for more than five years. She has been living in Milan for over twenty years as a happy wife, housewives and mothers of two charming and very well-mannered children, a boy and a girl. Often, returning home from her native Morocco, she brings me a box of local sweets as a gift and willingly stops to chat about life when they meet on the landing. She has no time for more - she is always on the run between school, sports section son, daughter's ballet school, dry cleaning and a supermarket, but always cheerful and smiling. And here, in last time when we met at the elevator, I first saw Jasmine with an extinct look: she stunned me with the news that her parents were dying. Jasmine is torn in two between Milan and Morocco, flying home every weekend to look after her bedridden mom and dad. And although she had a sister and six brothers in Morocco, financial assistance the whole family expects from her, the youngest, who, in their opinion, lives in luxury in Italy. Jasmine, meanwhile, secretly from her husband sold her jewelry and expensive watch to pay for medicines, a nurse and tests for their parents. And the Italian husband, with whom she lived for so many years and to whom she gave birth to two children, instead of morally supporting his wife during this black period for her, only wonders why she flies to Morocco so often ?!

I, you know, could not restrain myself and demonstrate the custom in Italy for similar cases discreet sympathy, and shared with Jasmine Russian folk wisdom about the fact that the earth is round, and that someday he, being a father, can also - God forbid! to be in such a situation. Jasmine, on the other hand, shook her head and shared with me her own theory that Italians are essentially selfish and used to only taking from their parents, giving them nothing in return - neither their time, nor attention, nor - God forbid! - money ... Here, at least take her own husband- his lonely old mother sees her son and grandchildren only twice a year, at Christmas and Easter, and even then for a couple of days ...

The theory of the Moroccan, long "adopted" by Italy, was involuntarily confirmed last weekend by my sworn friend Stephanie, who is from the "locals". Stefania, mother of a one and a half year old baby and a desperate careerist, is in a pleasant anticipation of the upcoming trip out of town, where she can drink wine and relax in the SPA with her husband, leaving the child for three days in the care of her parents. And everything would be fine - I also think that spouses should certainly find time and sometimes arrange a mini-honeymoon - only the phrase she accidentally threw out to me really hurt my ear: “What else should parents do? Let them come with their grandson to babysit - at least some use. And I won’t take him to the SPA - why do I need him there ?!” I immediately felt somehow offended for the child, who seems almost superfluous in this planned family idyll, and for parents urgently called to Milan to work as a nanny.

Italian nepotism and respect for the older generation have probably already sunk into oblivion, as well as Christmas feasts with numerous cousins and great aunts, as well as vacations at sea with grandparents with a whole gang of cousins and sisters and all the same aunts who have never been a burden to anyone, like the once sacred family dinners on Sundays, reminiscent of the bustle and noise of the many-voiced Turkish bazaars.

Modern Italy saves on the family, severely cutting back on communication with relatives, as it saves on ... funerals, looking for more profitable offers. Don't believe? Milan, meanwhile, is replete with advertising brochures " full package funeral for only 1100 Euro!” Sad? It's even sadder that I'm noticing more and more of these ads near nursing homes.

Dry statistics, oddly enough, instills faith in the nepotism of Italians. Relatively recently, a social survey was conducted in Italy, timed to coincide with the 150th anniversary of the country's unification. Family, quality of life, traditional religious upbringing and love for the beautiful - these were, according to the results of the survey, the values that modern Italians believe in. With the last point, everything is clear: the inhabitants of the Apennines are ardent patriots (which, however, does not in the least prevent them from criticizing their homeland) and firmly believe that life in a picturesque place surrounded by natural beauties and cultural and historical monuments makes people kinder and more sympathetic. With love for beauty, the concept of quality of life goes hand in hand - it’s not for nothing that dolce vita, sweet life, came up with it here: the Italians are convinced that in their the country lives much better than even our neighbors in Europe; they do not even want to think about moving, despite any tempting salary promises. A third of Italians go to church regularly, although more than half of the country's population consider themselves to be believers. True, modern Italians believe in God and go to mass on Sundays more and more out of inertia: a wedding in a church is more picturesque than a simple painting in the registry office, the christening of children is an occasion to show oneself in a favorable light. Even the same visits to divine services are sometimes made for the sake of a decent characterization of the family when a child is admitted to a prestigious church school.

The Italian family is also couples gay, some of whom live more harmoniously than married spouses, these are divorced parents, sharing not only belongings acquired together, but also children, these are thirty-year-old sissy who are still unable to let go of their mother's skirt and go on an independent voyage, they are forced to work to help adult unemployed children, retired parents… Alas, but I hear more stories about the sacrifice of parents and the callousness of children, than about the opposite. My elderly au pair has been paying off a housing loan for an adult son and his family for years, and my son calls her only at the end of the month to ask for money before salary ...

As trivial as it may sound, but last meeting With Jasmine, she reminded me once again how important it is to cherish the intangible values in life that cannot be bought for any money: family, loved ones, friends, your moments together, your precious shared memories. Remember, there was a long social advertising "Call your parents"? So, call, visit, hug and tell them how much you love them and how much you miss them.

And what about the Italians? I want to believe that, throwing dust in the eyes of acquaintances lavish weddings, christening celebrations on wide leg and expensive Christmas gifts to children, they, as the survey data assures us, still will not forget about the real happiness of the first smile of a newborn, warmth mother's hands, sincere friendly hugs, the joy of an unexpected call. So the Italians began to give birth to children more often - even my selfish Stefania does not exclude the possibility of having a second child in a couple of years. You see, it will save time for this?

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There are families who live quietly, peacefully and calmly. But there are "cells of society" in which life, to put it mildly, is not sugar. main reason this is too much emotion. Sometimes a husband and wife, when they are in conflict, quarrel so quietly that even the neighbors who live with them on the same staircase have no idea. And there are spouses, oh family problems who are known not only by the neighbors, but by the whole block. And the precinct often comes to them. Because he simply cannot pass by, he thinks that, judging by the screams and screams, someone is being killed in the apartment. But no, this is a husband and wife sorting out the relationship ...

Well, and then the "Italian family" becomes a bit crowded within the same apartment, everyone should know about their "crazy" love for each other. And scandals are gradually moving from the apartment to open areas. And if people live in a small village, then not only relatives and friends, but also unfamiliar people will soon learn about this family. As they say, romance!

The main disadvantages of the "Italian family"

Minus one. Noise. People quarrel and reconcile so loudly that they haunt others. In addition, as a result, the family may go into disrepute.

2013 Thinkstock

Minus the second. As the character of the film "Ivan Vasilyevich Changes His Profession" said, nerve cells are not restored. A person, of course, gets used to everything, but constant scandals with shouting, yelling and breaking dishes adversely affect nervous system. And it doesn't matter who eventually becomes a psycho - a man or a woman. By the way, the representatives of the stronger sex, for the most part, cannot stand the spirit high-profile scandals. But girls and women often feel like fish in water.

Minus the third. Children, by definition, do not like it when mom and dad yell at each other. Such a situation is unnerving for any child, a small person feels uncomfortable in it.

How to stop arguing

Exit first. You can start scandals yourself. Moreover, you can provoke a nervous spouse to

Not only architectural and natural beauty tourists are interested in traveling, but also the people inhabiting a particular country. It is insanely interesting to watch scenes of street life, to see how life works, if you are lucky and you will be invited to visit.

In Italy, people are open and spend a lot of time on the street, so a close look can see a lot. For example, amazing ardor. Each of them becomes like Romeo, all the time it seems that a little more and not only compliments, but also songs will flow from his lips.

In Italy, people are very responsible for their family, until last days men retain a reverent attitude towards the mother of their children. Elderly Italian couples look very touching.

Not only men, but also women in Italy contribute to family happiness. They do not forget about their appearance, carefully take care of themselves and their wardrobe, lead an active lifestyle. Great importance The Mediterranean diet, which is common in this country, also has. Women in Italy remain attractive until their very last days.

In addition, they respect themselves very much, their self-esteem is at its best. So there is nothing surprising in the fact that the Italians tremblingly love and protect their women from any worries.

There is a lot of talk about the fact that the Italians are not at all averse to looking “to the left”. And evidence of this can serve as numerous intrigues, which tourists traveling around Italy can tell about. Unlike cool northern men, Italians are capable of making any lady dizzy with their passionate courtship. However, this is a completely different story.

In Italy, as in any other country, a family is judged by its attitude towards children. It is difficult to find a country that would love children more. The fathers here accept Active participation in education, they walk with a stroller, mess with the kids. On Saint Joseph's Day, March 19, all of Italy celebrates Father's Day. On this holiday, children read poems to dads and draw postcards.