Cliff Jones Jr.

Core Vocabulary in Italian #

What are the most basic concepts that virtually all languages express? I’ve done my best to answer this question with a list of 200 core vocabulary items, and this is part one of the Italian version. To learn how I settled on these particular concepts and see what other languages have been added so far, check out “Core Vocabulary Across Languages.”

Abbreviations #

m = masculine gender (“il”)

f = feminine gender (“la”)

Nouns #

  1. name = nome (m)
  2. water = acqua (f)
  3. blood = sangue (m)
  4. fire = fuoco (m)
  5. stone/rock = pietra (f), roccia (f)
  6. dog = cane (m)
  7. fish = pesce (m)
  8. louse/flea = pidocchio (m), pulce (f)
  9. hand/arm = mano (f), braccio (m)
  10. eye = occhio (m)
  11. ear = orecchio (m)
  12. nose = naso (m)
  13. tongue = lingua (f)
  14. tooth = dente (m)
  15. bone = osso (m)
  16. horn = corno (m)
  17. tail = coda (f)
  18. egg = uovo (m)
  19. leaf = foglia (f)
  20. night/evening = notte (f), sera (f)
  21. star = stella (f)
  22. sun = sole (m)
  23. moon = luna (f)
  24. earth/soil = terra (f), suolo (m)
  25. salt = sale (m)
  26. mountain = montagna (f)
  27. tree = albero (m)
  28. rain = pioggia (f)
  29. wind = vento (m)
  30. bird = uccello (m)
  31. flesh/meat = carne (f)
  32. liver = fegato (m)
  33. skin/hide = pelle (f), cuoio (m)
  34. knee = ginocchio (m)
  35. breast/chest = seno (m), petto (m)
  36. person, human = persona (f), umano (m)
  37. man = uomo (m)
  38. woman = donna (f)
  39. child = bambino/bambina, ragazzo/ragazza
  40. hair/fur = capello (m), pelo (m)
  41. mouth = bocca (f)
  42. neck = collo (m)
  43. foot/leg = piede, gamba (f)
  44. feather = piuma (f)
  45. grease/fat = grasso (m)
  46. smoke = fumo (m)
  47. ash/soot = cenere (f), fuliggine (f)
  48. sand = sabbia (f)
  49. wood = legno (m)
  50. root = radice (f)
  51. rope/cord = corda (f)
  52. path/road = sentiero (m), strada (f), cammino (m)
  53. year = anno (m), annata (f)

Verbs #

  1. die = morire
  2. see/look/watch = vedere, guardare
  3. hear/listen = sentire, ascoltare
  4. know = sapere, conoscere
  5. drink = bere
  6. give = dare
  7. come = venire
  8. stand = alzar, stare
  9. sit/set = seder, impostare
  10. lie/lay = sdraiar, gettare
  11. fly = volare
  12. eat = mangiare
  13. bite = mordere
  14. burn = bruciare
  15. kill = uccidere
  16. say/tell/speak/talk = dire, raccontare, parlare
  17. laugh = ridere

Adjectives #

  1. new = nuovo/nuova
  2. full = pieno/piena
  3. good = buono/buona
  4. long = lungo/lunga
  5. red = rosso/rossa
  6. black = nero/nera
  7. white = bianco/bianca
  8. green = verde
  9. yellow = giallo/gialla
  10. small/little = piccolo/piccola
  11. big/large = grande, grosso/grossa
  12. wide/broad = largo/larga
  13. heavy = pesante
  14. old = vecchio/vecchia
  15. dry = asciutto/asciutta, secco/secca

Other #

  1. I/me = io/mi/me
  2. you = tu/ti/te, voi
  3. what/which = cosa, che, quale
  4. who/whom = chi
  5. one/a/an = un/uno/una
  6. two = due
  7. not/no = non, no
  8. this/these = questo/questa/questi/queste
  9. we/us = noi/ci/ce
  10. all/everything/everyone = tutto/tutta/tutti/tutte, ognuno