esercito
/eˈzɛr.t͡ʃi.to/masculine
The English phrase 'army' is esercito in Italian.
esercito is a masculine noun used to describe a military force concerned mainly with ground operations. For context, related military ranks include Generale (General), Colonnello (Colonel), Maggiore (Major), Capitano (Captain), Tenente (Lieutenant) and Sottotenente (Second Lieutenant).
Meaning: military force concerned mainly with ground operations (noun)
Which one should you use?
While esercito refers specifically to the land-based military force, it is distinct from forze armate (armed forces), which includes the navy and air force. Additionally, note that the noun armata is feminine.
How does it change in a sentence?
The plural form of esercito is eserciti.
How do you pronounce it?
/eˈzɛr.tʃi.to/. The word has 4 syllables and the stress is on the 2nd syllable.
Did you know?
- The word esercito shares a common ancestor with the English word 'exercise', as both derive from the Latin 'exercitus' meaning 'an exercising or training'.
- In Italian, the phrase fare l'esercito is often used to describe the period of mandatory military service, even though the literal translation is 'to do the army'.
- While esercito describes the organized body of troops, the word esercito is also the first-person singular present form of the verb 'esercitare', meaning 'to exercise' or 'to practice'.
Examples in context
- Tu e quale esercito?You and what army?Tatoeba #8667353 by Guybrush88, translation #8667025 by ajje
- A me manca l'esercito.I miss the army.Tatoeba #3883776 by Guybrush88, translation #1813164 by Amastan
- L’esercito morì di fame.The army died of hunger.Tatoeba #812794 by rado, translation #12267732 by Miktsoanit
- L'esercito italiano è ben addestrato.The Italian army is well-trained.
- Gli amici di mio fratello sono tutti militari.My brother's friends are all in the army.
- 135 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Alessandro and Chiara are talking about his career choices.
- AlessandroVoglio entrare nell'esercito.I want to join the army.
- ChiaraDavvero? È un lavoro difficile.Really? It is a difficult job.
- AlessandroSì, ma l'esercito mi affascina.Yes, but the army fascinates me.
- ChiaraTi auguro buona fortuna, Alessandro.I wish you good luck, Alessandro.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “army” translations and entries esercito, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries esercito, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
