Italian Italian

Vocab Builder for commonly used words in Italian.

attore
actor

The Italian word 'attore' is equivalent to the English word 'actor'. It is used to refer to a man who performs in films, theater, or television productions. Like in English, plurals are formed by changing the final 'e' to 'i', therefore 'actors' will be 'attori'.

attrice
actress

The word 'attrice' is an Italian equivalent of English word 'actress'. It is feminine noun which is used to refer to a woman who performs in plays, movies, or television shows. It is notable that in Italian, nouns have a gender and number, and 'attrice' is singular form. The plural form is 'attrici'.

avere
to have

In Italian, 'avere' conveys possession and is also used in different linguistic contexts. For instance, it acts as an auxiliary verb in the compound tenses of transitive verbs. It is equally used to indicate age, physical sensation, and certain mental states. Moreover, its usage is important in several Italian idiomatic expressions.

banana
banana

The Italian word for 'banana' is 'banana'. It's used in the same context as in English, to indicate the yellow fruit.

banda
band

In Italian, 'banda' is used to refer to a group of musicians, similar to how 'band' is used in English. It can also refer to a gang or a group of people with a common purpose.

bello
pretty

The Italian word 'bello' is used to describe someone or something that is attractive or pleasing to the senses. It is equivalent to 'pretty' in English. It can be used for both people and objects. For instance, in a sentence, you might say 'Quella ragazza è molto bella', meaning 'That girl is very pretty'.

benvenuto
welcome

The Italian word 'benvenuto' is used to greet someone who has just arrived, similar to the English 'welcome'. It can be used in both formal and informal situations, and with people you know well or with strangers. You can say 'benvenuto' when someone comes to your home, to a party or gathers, or when you meet them at the airport. It's also common to see 'benvenuto' on signs in places like bars, restaurants, and shops to welcome customers.

bianco
white

The word 'bianco' is an adjective used in Italian to describe the color white. Just like in English, it can be used in various contexts such as describing the color of objects or the color of a person's hair. 'Bianco' also has cultural meanings in Italy, where white is traditionally associated with purity and innocence.

biglietto
ticket

The Italian word 'biglietto' is used similar to the English word 'ticket'. It can be used in the context of a ticket for a concert, a movie, a bus ride, or any event that requires entry or participation. For example, 'Ho un biglietto per il concerto', translates to, 'I have a ticket for the concert'.

blu
blue

The Italian word for 'blue' is 'blu'. It is used in the same way as in English, to describe the color of something. For example, 'Il cielo è blu' means 'The sky is blue'.

borsa
bag

The Italian word 'borsa' is a feminine noun. It can refer to a variety of bags including a handbag, purse, shopping bag or even a stock exchange. It is widely used in many contexts in daily conversation. For example, 'Ho dimenticato la mia borsa a casa' means 'I left my bag at home'.

brutto
ugly

The Italian word for 'ugly' is 'brutto'. It can be used in similar context as it is in English. It describes something or someone that is not pleasing or attractive to the senses. For example, you can use it to describe an object, person, or situation that you find unattractive or displeasing. Remember, this term carries a negative sentiment.

buon amico
good friend

In Italian, 'buon amico' is used to refer to a close or good friend. It's often used in informal contexts when talking about friendships. Like English, it can be used directly before the friend's name, for example 'mio buon amico Luigi' or can be used by itself.

camerata
comrade

The Italian word 'camerata' is used to refer to a friend or colleague. It implies a sense of camaraderie, fellowship, or shared purpose. It is commonly used in both casual and formal contexts.

camicia
shirt

The Italian word for 'shirt' is 'camicia'. It's a feminine noun, and it's used in similar situations as in English. For example, you could say 'Questa è la mia camicia preferita', which means 'This is my favorite shirt'.

camminare
to walk

The word 'camminare' is an Italian verb that translates as 'to walk' in English. It is often used to indicate movement by foot. It is a regular verb that follows the standard conjugation pattern in the present, past, and future tenses. For example, 'Io cammino' means 'I walk'.

cane
dog

The word 'cane' refers to a dog in Italian. It is used in the same context as in English, referring to the typical pet. Just like English, it can also metaphorically refer to a person who is disliked, though this use is less common. Note the pronunciation: /ˈkaːne/.

canzone
song

The Italian word 'canzone' is used to refer to music with vocals, generally. It translates directly to the English word 'song'. It can be used the same way it is in English, for example: 'Questa è la mia canzone preferita' means 'This is my favorite song'.

carica
charge

The Italian word 'carica' equates to the English word 'charge'. It is mostly used in the context of electricity or running a charge towards something (in a physical sense). Like in English, it has various connotations in Italian and can be used in different contexts depending on the situation and the structure of the sentence.

carne
meat

The word 'carne' in Italian translates to 'meat' in English. It is used in the same way as in English, referring to the main part of a meal which usually comes from animals, like beef, poultry, pork, or fish. It can be used in a variety of contexts, such as ordering food in a restaurant, grocery shopping, or discussing meal preparation.

casa
house

The Italian word 'casa' translates to 'house' in English. It is a feminine noun, so it would be used in sentences such as 'La casa è grande' meaning 'The house is big'. It follows regular Italian grammar rules for a feminine singular noun.

cavallo
horse

The Italian word for 'horse' is 'cavallo'. It is used in the same contexts as in English. For instance, 'un cavallo' means 'a horse', while 'il cavallo' translates to 'the horse'. Just like in English, it can be used in various idioms and expressions.

cerchio di amici
circle of friends

The Italian phrase 'cerchio di amici' means 'circle of friends' in English. This phrase is used similar to its English counterpart to refer to a close group of friends. It is used in informal conversations and in written Italian as well.

chitarra
guitar

The Italian word 'chitarra' means 'guitar' in English. It is a noun and is used in the same way as in English. You can use it when referring to the musical instrument, such as in the sentence 'Io suono la chitarra', which means 'I play the guitar'.

cibo
food

The word 'cibo' is used in Italian as a noun referring to anything consumed to sustain life, provide energy, promote growth, etc. It is used similarly to how we use 'food' in English. For example, 'Mi piace il cibo italiano' means 'I like Italian food'.

ciliegia
cherry

The word for 'cherry' in Italian is 'ciliegia', and can be used in the context of specifying the type of fruit, as well as flavor for deserts or beverages. It's pronounced as 'chee-lee-AY-jah'.

cinema
cinema

In Italian, the word 'cinema' is identical to the English word 'cinema'. It is a masculine noun used to refer to a place where films are shown. It can also refer to the art of creating films.

coinquilino
roommate

The Italian word 'coinquilino' is used to denote 'roommate' in English, someone you share your living space with, like a flat or house. It is used in both formal and informal contexts and has no gender variation, just like in English.

collega
colleague

In Italian, 'collega' is used to refer to a person with whom one works, in particular someone in a similar role or job. It is commonly used in all professional fields and can refer to both a single individual or a group of people. Like in English, it does not denote any specific level of closeness or friendship, just a shared working environment.

compagno di classe
classmate

The Italian term for 'classmate' is 'compagno di classe'. It is used in the same context as in English, to denote a fellow student in a class at school. 'Compagno' means mate or comrade and 'di classe' is 'of class'. It is used frequently in academic settings.

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