valanga
/vaˈlan.ɡa/feminine
The English word avalanche is valanga in Italian. Wiktionary also lists slavina.
Meaning: large sliding mass of snow and ice (noun)
Ways to say it
| Italian | IPA | Note |
|---|---|---|
| valanga | /vaˈlan.ɡa/ | feminine |
| slavina | feminine |
The term refers to a large sliding mass of snow and ice.
How does it change in a sentence?
The plural of valanga is valanghe.
How do you pronounce it?
The word is pronounced /vaˈlan.ɡa/. It has 3 syllables, and the stress is on the 2nd syllable.
Did you know?
- The term valanga is sometimes used in Italian sports commentary to describe a sudden and overwhelming scoring run by one team.
- Certain Italian dialects use variations of valanga to describe not just snow, but any massive landslide involving mud or rocks.
- In some regional Italian dialects, a smaller snow slide might be called a valanghetto, using a diminutive suffix to shrink the scale of the disaster.
Examples in context
- Mi dica della valanga.Tell me about the avalanche.This sentence is useful for asking for information regarding a valanga.Tatoeba #12253312 by Guybrush88, translation #12252148 by CK
- Tom fu ucciso dalla valanga.Tom was killed in the avalanche.This sentence is useful for describing someone being killed by a valanga.Tatoeba #2823581 by Guybrush88, translation #2821277 by CK
- La valanga fece precipitare tonnellate di neve giù per la montagna.The avalanche hurtled tons of snow down the mountain.This sentence is useful for describing how a valanga moved snow down a mountain.Tatoeba #3103827 by Guybrush88, translation #1733810 by darinmex
- Ieri si è verificata una valanga nelle Alpi.Yesterday an avalanche occurred in the Alps.
- Domani andrò a sciare sulla neve fresca evitando possibili valanghe.Tomorrow I'll go skiing on fresh snow, avoiding possible avalanches.
- 6 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Matteo and Giulia are discussing mountain safety during a hike.
- MatteoHai sentito della valanga ieri?Did you hear about the avalanche yesterday?
- GiuliaSì, è stata davvero spaventosa.Yes, it was really scary.
- MatteoFortunatamente non ha colpito nessuno.Fortunately, it didn't hit anyone.
- GiuliaSì, ma bisogna stare molto attenti.Yes, but we have to be very careful.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “avalanche” translations and entries valanga, slavina, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
