Big brother

How to say big brother in Italian

Fratello maggiore

The direct translation for big brother in Italian is fratello maggiore.

Maggiore is a comparative adjective that translates into English as bigger.

So in order to say “I have a big brother in Italian”, you would simply say…

Ho un fratello maggiore.
I have a big brother.

But wait! What if you have more than one big brother? Here’s what you have to say:

Ho … fratelli maggiori.
I have … big brothers.

Just replace the … with how many big brothers you have.

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Other ways to say big brother in Italian

Fratellone

Fratellone is an affectionate way you can refer to your older brother. Literally, this would be translated as “big brother”, with the suffix -one meaning “big”.

This is commonly used by children to refer to their big brothers, so don’t use this in casual conversation with other adults unless you want to use humor!

Don’t say: Ho un fratellone.

Il mio fratellone gioca a calcio tutti i pomeriggi.
My big brother plays soccer every afternoon.

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Fratello più grande

This is yet another synonym for big brother in Italian, and it would literally translate as “older brother”. It’s a neutral term and you can use it instead of fratello maggiore.

Ho un fratello più grande che va alle scuole superiori.
I have an older brother who is in high school.

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Do you have any siblings?

Let’s see how to ask people if they have any siblings.

These sentences literally translate as “do you have any brothers or sisters?”. There is no direct translation for “sibling” in Italian.

Use the first sentence if you are talking to a friend. Use the second sentence if you are talking to your boss, a stranger, etc.

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