Italian · People & Family
"Cousin" in Italian: cugino / cugina
il cugino / la cugina
Cousin in Italian is il cugino for a male cousin and la cugina for a female cousin. Plural cugini covers a mixed or all-male group; cugine is all female. Family chats use these constantly.
Family dinner intro
Ti presento mio cugino Luca.Speak with an AI partner · 7 days free
How to pronounce cugino / cugina
Say it
eel koo-JEE-noh
/il kuˈdʒi.no/
Cugino is koo-JEE-noh, stress on JEE. Cugina ends with nah. Soft g before i.
"Cousin" in Italian: quick reference
| Italian | English | When to use |
|---|---|---|
| il cugino | male cousin Masculine form. | Masculine form. |
| la cugina | female cousin Feminine form. | Feminine form. |
| i cugini | cousins Mixed or male plural. | Mixed or male plural. |
| mia cugina | my (female) cousin Possessive without article in kinship. | Possessive without article in kinship. |
How to use cugino / cugina in real life
- 1Family dinner intro
Ti presento mio cugino Luca.
I'd like you to meet my cousin Luca.
Mio cugino for a male cousin.
- 2Phone call
Mia cugina arriva stasera da Bologna.
My cousin arrives tonight from Bologna.
Mia cugina for a woman.
- 3Holiday plan
I cugini vengono in montagna con noi.
The cousins are coming to the mountains with us.
I cugini for the group.
Mistakes English speakers make with cugino / cugina
Incorrect: La mia cugino abita qui.
Correct: Il mio cugino / la mia cugina abita qui.
Match article and ending to gender.
Incorrect: I miei cugine sono simpatici.
Correct: Le mie cugine / i miei cugini…
Cugine is feminine plural; mixed groups use cugini.
Good to know
Italian families keep cugini close: summer lunches and wedding seating charts fill with them. Kinship possessives often drop the article (mio cugino, not il mio cugino) in everyday speech, though both appear.
Try it in a ChatPal conversation
Planning a cousin's birthday gift
ChatPal
Tua cugina preferisce i libri o i dolci?
Does your cousin prefer books or sweets?
You
Mia cugina adora i romanzi gialli.
My cousin loves mystery novels.
ChatPal
E tuo cugino? Compra qualcosa di diverso?
And your (male) cousin? Buying something different?
You
Mio cugino vuole solo una cartolina divertente.
My cousin just wants a funny postcard.
This is a sample. In ChatPal you have this conversation out loud and get feedback on what you say.
Practice this conversation in ChatPal"Cousin" in other languages
FAQ
Common questions about "Cousin" in Italian
Cugino or cugina?
Cugino = male; cugina = female.
How do plurals work?
Cugini (m/mixed), cugine (f).
Do I need the article?
Often mio cugino without il in speech; il mio cugino is also fine.
Second cousin?
Usually still cugino/cugina with a note like di secondo grado.
Learn a word, then use it out loud
- Step 1: See it in context
- Step 2: Say it out loud
- Step 3: Get feedback
- Step 4: Use it in real scenarios
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