La famiglia Rossi: nomi, cognomi e parentela

What does “i signori Rossi” mean in Italian?

In Italian, “signore” means Mr or gentleman and “signora” means Mrs or lady. Put the masculine plural in front of a surname — “i signori Rossi” — and you name a married couple together: Mr and Mrs Rossi, or simply “the Rossis.” Italian uses the masculine plural to cover a man and a woman, so one short phrase points to both of them at once.

The lesson builds it up step by step: “Il marito di Teresa Rossi è il signor Rossi” (the husband is Mr Rossi), “La moglie di Carlo Rossi è la signora Rossi” (the wife is Mrs Rossi), then “Il marito e la moglie sono i signori Rossi” — husband and wife together are the Rossis. Notice that “signore” drops its final -e before a name: you say “il signor Rossi,” not “signore Rossi,” while “signora” keeps its full form. The word goes back to Latin “senior,” the elder, the same root behind Spanish “señor” and French “seigneur.”