Italian in Different Languages
Discover 'Italian' in 134 Languages: Dive into Translations, Hear Pronunciations, and Uncover Cultural Insights.
Updated on March 6, 2024
Italian is a beautiful language, known for its musicality and romantic flair. As the official language of Italy, it is spoken by over 63 million people, but its influence extends far beyond the Italian peninsula. From literature and art to fashion and food, Italian culture has left an indelible mark on the world.
Did you know that Italian is the language of opera? Many of the world's most famous operas, such as La Bohème and Madama Butterfly, were written in Italian. Moreover, Italian is the language of some of the world's most celebrated works of literature, including Dante's Divine Comedy and Boccaccio's Decameron.
Given its rich cultural significance, it's no wonder that someone might want to know the translation of 'Italian' in different languages. Here are a few examples:
- Spanish: Italiano
- French: Italien
- German: Italienisch
- Chinese: 意大利语 (Yìdàlìyǔ)
- Japanese: イタリア語 (Itaria-go)
Italian
Italian in Sub-Saharan African Languages
| Afrikaans | italiaans | ||
| "Italiaans" is an adjective that can also mean "stylish" in Afrikaans. | |||
| Amharic | ጣሊያንኛ | ||
| The word 'Italian' is also spelled as 'ጣልያምኛ' in Amharic. | |||
| Hausa | italiyanci | ||
| The Hausa word "Italiyanci" also refers to a type of indigo dye used in traditional Hausa textiles. | |||
| Igbo | italiantalian | ||
| The Igbo word | |||
| Malagasy | italiana | ||
| The word "Italiana" in Malagasy has additional meanings such as "European" or "foreigner". | |||
| Nyanja (Chichewa) | chitaliyana | ||
| In Nyanja, 'Chitaliyana' also has the alternate meaning of 'a type of maize'. | |||
| Shona | chiitalian | ||
| The word "ChiItalian" in Shona can also refer to "white people". | |||
| Somali | talyaani | ||
| The word "Talyaani" also refers to a Somali person who has been in contact with Italian culture. | |||
| Sesotho | setaliana | ||
| The word "Setaliana" in Sesotho is derived from a word meaning "Europeans who have light-colored skin" and can also be used to refer to all white people in general. | |||
| Swahili | kiitaliano | ||
| Xhosa | isitaliyani | ||
| IsiTaliyani, which literally means 'sons of the earth', refers to both Italians and ancient inhabitants of the British Isles. | |||
| Yoruba | ara italia | ||
| The phrase 'Ara Italia' literally means 'children of Italy' in Yoruba, and is a reflection of the strong bond between Italy and Nigeria, dating back to the colonial era. | |||
| Zulu | isintaliyane | ||
| The Zulu word 'IsiNtaliyane' also means 'something very important or precious'. | |||
| Bambara | italikan na | ||
| Ewe | italygbe me tɔ | ||
| Kinyarwanda | umutaliyani | ||
| Lingala | italien | ||
| Luganda | oluyitale | ||
| Sepedi | setaliana | ||
| Twi (Akan) | italia kasa | ||
Italian in North African & Middle Eastern Languages
| Arabic | إيطالي | ||
| The word "إيطالي" (Italian) derives from the name of the Italic peoples who inhabited the Italian peninsula in ancient times. | |||
| Hebrew | אִיטַלְקִית | ||
| The word “אִיטַלְקִית” also refers to the Italic alphabet, the precursor to the Latin alphabet. | |||
| Pashto | ایټالیوي | ||
| The word "ایټالیوي" also refers to the language spoken in Italy. | |||
| Arabic | إيطالي | ||
| The word "إيطالي" (Italian) derives from the name of the Italic peoples who inhabited the Italian peninsula in ancient times. | |||
Italian in Western European Languages
| Albanian | italiane | ||
| The Albanian word 'italiane' (Italian) is derived from the Greek 'italikoi' (Italic) and is used in Albanian to refer specifically to the language of Italy and its native speakers. | |||
| Basque | italiarra | ||
| The Basque word "italiarra" ultimately derives from the Latin word "Italia" and has the additional meaning of "friend" or "companion". | |||
| Catalan | italià | ||
| The word «Italià» also means «Italic alphabet» in Catalan. | |||
| Croatian | talijanski | ||
| "Talijanski" je varijanta riječi "italijanski" s istim značenjem. | |||
| Danish | italiensk | ||
| Italiensk is also used as an adjective in Danish, meaning something is 'in the Italian style'. | |||
| Dutch | italiaans | ||
| The word "Italiaans" is also used to describe something typically Italian, such as food or fashion. | |||
| English | italian | ||
| The word "Italian" originates from the Latin word "Italicus," which means "of or belonging to Italy." | |||
| French | italien | ||
| The word "italien" can also refer to a typeface or a style of binding. | |||
| Frisian | italiaansk | ||
| "Italiansk" is also used to refer to the colour brown in Frisian. | |||
| Galician | italiano | ||
| German | italienisch | ||
| Das Wort »Italienisch« ist etymologisch mit »etwas, das schreit« verwandt. | |||
| Icelandic | ítalska | ||
| The word "Ítalska" can also refer to the Italian language. | |||
| Irish | iodáilis | ||
| The word "Iodáilis" in Irish is thought to derive from the Latin "Italiensis", meaning "Italian", and may also refer to the ancient region of Italy known as "Etruria". | |||
| Italian | italiano | ||
| "Italiano" può anche riferirsi alla parte in corsivo di un carattere tipografico. | |||
| Luxembourgish | italienesch | ||
| The term "Italienesch" is derived from the French word "italien" or the Latin word "italus", | |||
| Maltese | taljan | ||
| The word "Taljan" in Maltese, meaning "Italian", is also applied to people of French or Spanish descent, and is used as a generic term for Westerners or Europeans. | |||
| Norwegian | italiensk | ||
| Italiensk may also refer to the Italian Renaissance or Baroque style in art and architecture | |||
| Portuguese (Portugal, Brazil) | italiano | ||
| In Portuguese, "italiano" can also mean "type of pasta, often served with Bolognese sauce or vegetables". | |||
| Scots Gaelic | eadailteach | ||
| Eadailteach is also the name of an Irish language newspaper published weekly in Dublin. | |||
| Spanish | italiano | ||
| En español, "italiano" también puede referirse al lenguaje hablado en Italia o a alguien que habla ese lenguaje. | |||
| Swedish | italienska | ||
| The word "Italienska" can also refer to a style of furniture popular in the 18th century that imitated Italian Renaissance designs. | |||
| Welsh | eidaleg | ||
| The word "Eidaleg" is derived from the Old English word "Ætæle", meaning "noble" or "excellent." | |||
Italian in Eastern European Languages
| Belarusian | італьянскі | ||
| The etymology of the word "Італьянскі" could be traced back to the Byzantine Greek word "Ἰταλικός" (Italikos), which was used to refer to the inhabitants of the Italian peninsula. | |||
| Bosnian | talijanski | ||
| Talijanski also means 'big, massive, or huge' and originates from the word 'talja' (load, weight). | |||
| Bulgarian | италиански | ||
| “Италиански” in Bulgarian can also mean “in an Italian way” or refer to the Italian language, such as in “изучавам италиански” (“I’m studying Italian”). | |||
| Czech | italština | ||
| Italský (italština) původně označovalo obyvatele Apeninského poloostrova bez ohledu na jejich jazyk, ve významu "italský" se používá od 16. století. | |||
| Estonian | itaalia keel | ||
| The word “itaalia” also refers to “cursive script” in Estonian. This is because in the Middle Ages the most widely disseminated foreign-language manuscripts were in Latin, which was always written in cursive script. | |||
| Finnish | italialainen | ||
| The word 'italialainen' originally referred to 'the Italian peninsula' specifically before becoming synonymous with the modern country | |||
| Hungarian | olasz | ||
| Olasz is also Hungarian for "Wallachian", which refers to the Romanian people or Romanian language. | |||
| Latvian | itāļu valoda | ||
| The word "Itāļu valoda" (Italian) in Latvian also means "Italic" (a type of type face). | |||
| Lithuanian | italų | ||
| In Lithuanian, "Italų" (Italian) can also refer to the ancient Italic peoples. | |||
| Macedonian | италијански | ||
| The word "Италијански" (Italian) is derived from the ancient Greek word "Ἰταλία" (Italia), which referred to the toe of the Italian peninsula. | |||
| Polish | włoski | ||
| In the context of horse racing, 'Włoski' may also refer to a type of harness or a breed of horses of Italian origin. | |||
| Romanian | italiană | ||
| The Romanian word "Italiană" derives from the Latin "Italicus", meaning "pertaining to Italy" or "in the manner of the Italians". | |||
| Russian | итальянский | ||
| "Итальянский" (in English, “Italian”) originally referred only to the inhabitants and customs in Southern and Central Italy | |||
| Serbian | италијан | ||
| The word "Италијан" can also refer to a type of pasta in Serbian. | |||
| Slovak | taliansky | ||
| The word "Taliansky" comes from the Proto-Slavic word *Talijanъ, which was borrowed from the Latin word "Italianus". | |||
| Slovenian | italijansko | ||
| The word “Italijansko” in Slovenian also refers to the Italian language. | |||
| Ukrainian | італійська | ||
| The word "Італійська" in Ukrainian can also mean "Italian pasta" or "pizza". | |||
Italian in South Asian Languages
| Bengali | ইটালিয়ান | ||
| আরো ইটালিয়ান অর্থ দুই চাকাযুক্ত স্কুটির। | |||
| Gujarati | ઇટાલિયન | ||
| Hindi | इतालवी | ||
| The term 'इतालवी' can also refer to an Indian raga (melodic framework) used in Hindustani classical music. | |||
| Kannada | ಇಟಾಲಿಯನ್ | ||
| Malayalam | ഇറ്റാലിയൻ | ||
| The word "ഇറ്റാലിയൻ" can also refer to the Italian language or culture, or a person from Italy. | |||
| Marathi | इटालियन | ||
| Nepali | इटालियन | ||
| इटालियन शब्द फारसी इटालियान से बना है, जो स्वयं लैटिन इटालिया से बना है। | |||
| Punjabi | ਇਤਾਲਵੀ | ||
| Sinhala (Sinhalese) | ඉතාලි | ||
| The word 'ඉතාලි' can also refer to a type of bread in Sinhala. | |||
| Tamil | இத்தாலிய | ||
| Telugu | ఇటాలియన్ | ||
| Urdu | اطالوی | ||
Italian in East Asian Languages
| Chinese (Simplified) | 义大利文 | ||
| 在意大利，'义大利文'也指来自意大利的地方语言或方言。 | |||
| Chinese (Traditional) | 義大利文 | ||
| 在日語中，義大利文是「イタリア語」的意思，是「イタリア（Italy）」這個國家名稱的音譯。 | |||
| Japanese | イタリアの | ||
| イタリアの, an archaic Japanese word for "Italian", is often used in proper nouns (e.g. イタリアンのトマトスパゲッティ) for comedic effect. | |||
| Korean | 이탈리아 사람 | ||
| 이탈리아 사름(이탈리아 사람)은 '이탈리아 사람' 외에도 '해변 사람'이나 '바다 사람'을 의미한다. | |||
| Mongolian | итали | ||
| The word "Итали" in Mongolian can also refer to the inhabitants of Italy, or to the Italian language. | |||
| Myanmar (Burmese) | အီတလီ | ||
| The word အီတလီ (Italian) is derived from the Sanskrit word Yavana, which was also used to refer to Greeks. | |||
Italian in South East Asian Languages
| Indonesian | italia | ||
| Italia juga bisa berarti "lembah lembu" dalam bahasa Oscan. | |||
| Javanese | wong italia | ||
| Wong Italia, or 'Italian' in Javanese, is derived from the Old Javanese term 'Wong Ithalya', which literally means 'people from Italy'. | |||
| Khmer | អ៊ីតាលី | ||
| This word comes from the Sanskrit word 'Italiko', which is a name for the ancient Romans. | |||
| Lao | ອິຕາລຽນ | ||
| Malay | bahasa itali | ||
| "Bahasa Itali" literally means "the language of Italy" in Malay. | |||
| Thai | อิตาลี | ||
| "อิตาลี" (Italian) อาจมาจาก "วิตาลิ" (Vitali) ชื่อชนพื้นเมืองที่อาศัยบริเวณที่เป็นอิตาลีในปัจจุบัน | |||
| Vietnamese | người ý | ||
| Ngoài ý nghĩa biểu thị quốc tịch người Ý, "người Ý" còn có nghĩa là "người tình"} | |||
| Filipino (Tagalog) | italyano | ||
Italian in Central Asian Languages
| Azerbaijani | i̇talyan | ||
| The word "İtalyan" in Azerbaijani is also used to refer to the Italian language. | |||
| Kazakh | итальян | ||
| In Kazakh, the word "Итальян" can also refer to a type of pasta. | |||
| Kyrgyz | итальянча | ||
| Итальянча is derived from the Persian word "Italyân", which in turn comes from the Latin word "Italia". | |||
| Tajik | италия | ||
| Turkmen | italýan | ||
| Uzbek | italyancha | ||
| Italyancha is also sometimes used to refer to the Italian language. | |||
| Uyghur | italian | ||
Italian in Pacific Languages
| Hawaiian | ikalia | ||
| In Hawaiian, "Ikalia" can also refer to a type of indigenous Hawaiian dance or chant. | |||
| Maori | itari | ||
| The word "Itari" in Maori also means "estranged" or "alienated". | |||
| Samoan | italia | ||
| Tagalog (Filipino) | italyano | ||
| "Italyano" is derived from the Sanskrit word "italiyana", meaning "eastward". | |||
Italian in American Indigenous Languages
| Aymara | italiano aru | ||
| Guarani | italiano ñe’ẽ | ||
Italian in International Languages
| Esperanto | itala | ||
| Latin | italiae | ||
| "Italiae" could also mean "of the cattle" as a reference to the ancient cattle herding practices of the inhabitants of the region. | |||
Italian in Others Languages
| Greek | ιταλικός | ||
| In Greek, "ιταλικός" can refer to both "Italian" and "Western", denoting the Latin West. | |||
| Hmong | italian | ||
| The word "Italian" can also mean "Italy" or "Italian people" in Hmong. | |||
| Kurdish | îtalî | ||
| The word "Îtalî" in Kurdish is not only used to refer to people from Italy but also to refer to people from any European country, especially those who speak Romance languages. | |||
| Turkish | i̇talyan | ||
| İtalyan, "İtalyanın" yerine "İtalyada doğmuş ya da orada yaşayan" anlamında da kullanılabilir. | |||
| Xhosa | isitaliyani | ||
| IsiTaliyani, which literally means 'sons of the earth', refers to both Italians and ancient inhabitants of the British Isles. | |||
| Yiddish | איטאַליעניש | ||
| Zulu | isintaliyane | ||
| The Zulu word 'IsiNtaliyane' also means 'something very important or precious'. | |||
| Assamese | ইটালিয়ান | ||
| Aymara | italiano aru | ||
| Bhojpuri | इटैलियन के बा | ||
| Dhivehi | އިޓަލީ ބަހުންނެވެ | ||
| Dogri | इटालियन | ||
| Filipino (Tagalog) | italyano | ||
| Guarani | italiano ñe’ẽ | ||
| Ilocano | italiano nga | ||
| Krio | italiyan langwej | ||
| Kurdish (Sorani) | ئیتاڵی | ||
| Maithili | इटालियन | ||
| Meiteilon (Manipuri) | ꯏꯇꯥꯂꯤꯒꯤ ꯑꯣꯏꯕꯥ꯫ | ||
| Mizo | italian tawng a ni | ||
| Oromo | afaan xaaliyaanii | ||
| Odia (Oriya) | ଇଟାଲୀୟ | | ||
| Quechua | italiano simi | ||
| Sanskrit | इटालियन | ||
| Tatar | италия | ||
| Tigrinya | ጣልያናዊ | ||
| Tsonga | xintariyana | ||