cortile
/korˈti.le/
The Italian word for backyard is cortile.
cortile refers to a yard to the rear of a house. In many Italian urban buildings, a 'cortile' refers to an internal courtyard rather than a residential backyard.
Meaning: yard to the rear of a house (noun)
Which one should you use?
While cortile refers to a courtyard or a paved/open area, giardino is used if the backyard is a landscaped garden with plants and grass.
How does it change in a sentence?
The plural form of cortile is cortili.
How do you pronounce it?
The word cortile has three syllables and is pronounced /korˈti.le/. The stress is on the second of the three syllables.
Did you know?
- The word cortile shares a common ancestor with the English word 'court', originating from the Latin 'cohors' which referred to an enclosed space or yard.
- While an English 'backyard' is almost always a private residential area, an Italian cortile can be a public or semi-public thoroughfare through an apartment block.
- In many historical Italian buildings, the cortile serves as a crucial source of light and ventilation for the inner rooms, acting more like an 'air shaft' than a playground.
Examples in context
- Non nel mio cortile.It is not in my backyard.This sentence is useful for practicing the use of the negative with cortile.Tatoeba #5085167 by Guybrush88, translation #867939 by Esperantostern
- Mi mostrò il suo cortile.He showed me his backyard.This sentence is useful for showing possession of a cortile.Tatoeba #13457567 by Guybrush88, translation #9354344 by DJ_Saidez
- Tom sta giocando nel cortile.Tom is playing in the backyard.This sentence is useful for describing an action occurring in the cortile.Tatoeba #6056008 by Guybrush88, translation #5795068 by CK
- La nostra casa ha un bel giardino dietro.Our house has a beautiful backyard.
- La villa ha un ampio cortile dietro.The villa has a spacious backyard.
- I bambini giocano nell' aia dietro il casale.The children play in the backyard behind the farmhouse.
- C'è un grazioso cortile interno nella nostra palazzina.There is a lovely backyard in our apartment building.
- 27 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Matteo and Martina are planning a small garden party.
- MatteoFacciamo la festa nel cortile?Shall we have the party in the backyard?
- MartinaSì, il cortile è molto bello.Yes, the backyard is very beautiful.
- MatteoDevo pulire il cortile prima.I must clean the backyard first.
- MartinaTi aiuto io con il cortile.I will help you with the backyard.
Sources
- Pronunciation: Wiktionary entry cortile, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries cortile, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
