Italian · People & Family

"Do you have children?" in Italian: Hai figli?

Hai figli?

Say it: eye FEE-lyeephrase/ˈai ˈfiʎ.ʎi/

Note: formal: Ha figli?

Do you have children? in Italian is Hai figli? with friends. Formal Ha figli? is a note for lei. Figli can mean kids in general, not only sons.

Casual dinner

Hai figli? Lavoro tanto con i bambini.
Do you have children? I work a lot with kids.
Practice Italian out loud

Speak with an AI partner · 7 days free

How to pronounce Hai figli?

Say it

eye FEE-lyee

/ˈai ˈfiʎ.ʎi/

Hai figli: eye FEE-lyee. Soft gli. Question rises at the end.

"Do you have children?" in Italian: quick reference

ItalianEnglish
Hai figli?Do you have children?

Informal tu.

Ha figli?Do you have children? (formal)

Lei form.

Avete figli?Do you (plural) have children?

To a couple.

Quanti figli hai?How many children do you have?

Follow-up.

How to use Hai figli? in real life

  1. 1Casual dinner

    Hai figli? Lavoro tanto con i bambini.

    Do you have children? I work a lot with kids.

    Hai figli?

  2. 2Park bench

    Scusa la curiositàhai figli?

    Sorry for asking—do you have children?

    Softener + phrase.

  3. 3New neighbors

    Hai figli? C'è un parco qui vicino.

    Do you have children? There's a park nearby.

    Practical small talk.

Mistakes English speakers make with Hai figli?

Incorrect: Hai bambini?

Correct: Hai figli?

Bambini is kids; figli is the set family question here—both exist, this page trains Hai figli?

Incorrect: Hai figlio?

Correct: Hai figli? / Hai un figlio?

Plural figli for the general question; un figlio for one son.

Good to know

Hai figli? appears early in Italian small talk after age and work. It is curious, not rude, among adults. If you prefer privacy, a light non ancora or no, non ancora works without drama.

Try it in a ChatPal conversation

Getting to know a coworker

  1. ChatPal

    Hai figli? Io ne ho due.

    Do you have children? I have two.

  2. You

    Non ancorae tu, hai figli piccoli?

    Not yet—and you, do you have little children?

  3. ChatPal

    , uno all'asilo.

    Yes, one in preschool.

  4. You

    Che bello.

    How lovely.

This is a sample. In ChatPal you have this conversation out loud and get feedback on what you say.

Practice this conversation in ChatPal

"Do you have children?" in other languages

FAQ

Common questions about "Do you have children?" in Italian

Informal?

Hai figli?

Formal?

Ha figli?

Does figli mean sons only?

Often kids of any gender in this question.

How many?

Quanti figli hai?

Learn a word, then use it out loud

  1. Step 1: See it in context
  2. Step 2: Say it out loud
  3. Step 3: Get feedback
  4. Step 4: Use it in real scenarios

Keep reading

Ready to say it out loud?

ChatPal is a voice-first app for practicing real conversations in Italian. Try real scenarios and get personalized feedback on your speaking.

Start with 7 days free.