Il nonno
The grandfather
In Italian, the word for 'the grandfather' is 'il nonno'. Unlike English, Italian uses a definite article ('il') in front of nouns even when referring to family members. The word 'nonno' is used in all contexts to refer to a grandfather. You would use it in formal and informal situations, and when talking to the person directly, or about them.
Example sentences using: Il nonno
Il nonno ama leggere il giornale ogni mattina.
The grandfather loves to read the newspaper every morning.
This sentence expresses a routine activity of the grandfather who likes to read the newspaper every morning. In Italian, the present tense is used for both present and habitual actions.
Il nonno di Maria vive in campagna.
Maria's grandfather lives in the countryside.
This sentence tells us about where Maria's grandfather lives. In Italian, the possessive is used before the noun and the word 'di' (of) is used instead of an apostrophe for showing possession.
Il nonno mi ha raccontato una storia affascinante.
The grandfather told me a fascinating story.
This sentence implies a past action by the grandfather, who told the speaker a captivating story. 'Mi' is a direct object pronoun that represents 'me' in English and 'ha raccontato' is a perfect past tense verb, combining 'has' and 'told' in English.