Italian words for kids · Family
How to say “grandma” in Italian
For many families, grandma is the reason to learn the language in the first place. A greeting in her language means a lot.
Grandma in Italian
la nonna
Sounds like ≈ lah NON-nah
Good to know: Kids usually just say nonna, no article, when talking to her.
Hear it in a song
Real lines from our Italian songs, with the English meaning shown in the app:
Ciao, nonna!
Bye, Grandma!
from Nonna e Nonno (Grandma and Grandpa)
Nonna!
Grandma!
from La Mia Famiglia (My Family)
The song that teaches it
“Grandma” is one of the key words in this song. Every line is shown in Italian with its English meaning.
Also sung in: La Mia Famiglia.
Practice ideas for parents
- 1On the next call, have your child greet grandma as nonna.
- 2Make a drawing for grandma and write nonna on it together.
- 3Sing the grandparents song before visiting so the words are fresh.
Related Italian words
“Grandma” in other languages
Sing it in Italian, free
The first unit, 6 greeting songs with lyrics and English translation, is free forever. No card needed. Premium unlocks all 134 songs.
About the pronunciation: the “sounds like” spellings are rough English approximations for parents (capital letters show the stressed syllable). Italianhas sounds English doesn't, so treat them as a starting point and let the songs be the model. Songs are original and produced with AI music tools. Ideas for using Italian songs with your family.