Learn Hardcore Italian: Le canzoni di famiglia si tramandano di padre in figlio. - Family songs are passed down from father to son.

This si is the “passive/impersonal si.” It turns a transitive verb into a passive construction, roughly “are handed down.” Here, le canzoni di famiglia is the subject, and si tramandano means “are handed down” (by someone, generally).

Why is the verb tramandare used here, and how is it different from trasmettere or passare?

tramandare is used specifically for passing on traditions, customs, stories, songs—intangible heritage—through generations.

trasmettere is broader (transmit signals, diseases, information).
passare just means “to pass” (an object, time, etc.) and sounds less formal for traditions.

Why is there a definite article le before canzoni di famiglia? In English we say “family songs” without an article.

In Italian, generic or categorical plurals normally take the definite article.
• le canzoni di famiglia = “family songs” in a general sense.
In English, we often drop the article with plural nouns, but Italian keeps le to mark that general category.

What does di padre in figlio mean, and why use di…in instead of da…a?

di padre in figlio is an idiomatic way to say “from father to son.” The pattern di X in Y is very common for generational or successive transfers (e.g. di generazione in generazione, di mano in mano). You could use da padre a figlio, but di…in is more idiomatic in these contexts.

Could we also say Le canzoni di famiglia si tramandano da padre a figlio?

Yes. It’s perfectly grammatical.

da padre a figlio is understood and correct,
but di padre in figlio is the fixed, more “textbook” expression for generational transmission.

Why canzoni di famiglia and not canzoni familiari?

canzoni di famiglia literally means “songs belonging to the family” or “family songs” passed down over time.
canzoni familiari would translate as “familiar songs” or “songs about families” and doesn’t convey the idea of heritage or belonging to a specific family tradition.

Can the di…in… pattern be used with other words or relationships?

Absolutely. It’s a productive idiom in Italian. Examples:

di madre in figlia (from mother to daughter)
di generazione in generazione (from generation to generation)
di mano in mano (from hand to hand)

Is this construction considered passive or something else? What exactly is the subject?

It’s a passive (or impersonal passive) construction. The subject is le canzoni di famiglia, and si makes the verb passive:
• Le canzoni are handed down (by the family, implicitly).

Why is the verb in the third-person plural tramandano and not singular?

Because the subject le canzoni is plural. In Italian, the verb agrees in number. If you spoke of one song, you’d say La canzone di famiglia si tramanda di padre in figlio.