animale
/a.niˈma.le/masculine
The Italian word for animal is animale. Wiktionary also lists bestia.
Meaning: organism other than human (noun)
Ways to say it
| Italian | IPA | Note |
|---|---|---|
| animale | /a.niˈma.le/ | masculine |
| bestia | /ˈbes.tja/ (Tuscany) /ˈbɛs.tja/ |
feminine |
The term animale is used to refer to an organism that is not human. Figuratively, calling a person un animale can imply they are crude, unrefined or possess great physical strength, depending on the context.
Which one should you use?
While animale is the neutral scientific or general term for an animal, bestia often carries a connotation of a wild, brute or even a 'beast' in a derogatory sense.
Related words
How does it change in a sentence?
The plural of the masculine noun animale is animali.
How do you pronounce it?
The word has 4 syllables, with the stress on the 3rd syllable: /a.niˈma.le/.
Did you know?
- The word animale shares its root with anima, the Italian word for 'soul'. This reflects the ancient belief that animals are defined by possessing a animating spirit.
- In Italian, the phrase fare l'animale is not a common expression, but bestia nera describes a person or thing that someone absolutely cannot stand.
- While bestia usually refers to an animal, the phrase essere una bestia can sometimes describe someone who is incredibly skilled or a 'beast' at a particular activity, similar to modern English slang.
Examples in context
- Ma che animale è?But what animal is it?Tatoeba #3407176 by Guybrush88, translation #12725306 by Nero
- Lui è un animale.He's an animal.Tatoeba #3759628 by Guybrush88, translation #1669955 by Spamster
- Questo è un animale.This is an animal.Tatoeba #12833482 by Guybrush88, translation #6968191 by deniko
- Mi piace osservare gli animali nel loro habitat naturale.I enjoy observing animals in their natural habitat.
- È stato fantastico vedere quelle bestie selvagge durante il safari.It was fantastic to see those wild animals during the safari.
- Le bestioline che vivevano nel prato erano davvero adorabili.The little animals living in the meadow were really adorable.
- 172 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Giulia and Matteo are at the zoo.
- GiuliaGuarda quel piccolo animale!Look at that little animal!
- MatteoÈ un animale molto veloce.It is a very fast animal.
- GiuliaTi piace questo animale?Do you like this animal?
- MatteoSì, è un animale stupendo.Yes, it is a wonderful animal.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “animal” translations and entries animale, bestia, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
