casa al mare
/ˈka.sa al ˈma.re/word by word
The Italian phrase for "beach house" is casa al mare.
The phrase casa al mare is used to describe a house located near the coast, whether it is a permanent residence or a seasonal vacation home.
What does it mean word for word?
Literally, the phrase translates to "house at the sea".
How does it change in a sentence?
To refer to multiple beach houses, change the singular noun casa to the plural form case to say case al mare.
How do you pronounce it?
The pronunciation is /ˈka.sa al ˈma.re/. It has 4 syllables, and the first syllable is stressed.
Did you know?
- In Italy, the concept of a casa al mare is often linked to the stabilimento balneare, a private beach club where families rent umbrellas and chairs for the entire summer.
- The word mare comes from the Proto-Indo-European root *móri, making it a distant relative of the English word 'mere', which means a lake or pond.
- The desire for a casa al mare is so culturally strong that many Italians maintain two separate homes: one in the city for work and one by the coast for August.
Examples in context
- Ho affittato una casa sulla spiaggia per le vacanze estive.I rented a beach house for the summer vacation.
- Abbiamo sempre trascorso le vacanze nella casa al mare.We have always spent our holidays in the beach house.
- La nostra casa al mare è molto piccola.Our beach house is very small.
- Voglio affittare una casa al mare per agosto.I want to rent a beach house for August.
- La casa al mare è vicina al porto.The beach house is near the harbor.
Example conversation
Matteo and Chiara are discussing their summer vacation plans.
- MatteoHai già prenotato la casa al mare?Have you already booked the beach house?
- ChiaraNo, non l'ho ancora fatto, Matteo.No, I haven't done it yet, Matteo.
- MatteoDovremmo farlo questa settimana.We should do it this week.
- ChiaraHai ragione, cerco subito un'offerta.You are right, I will look for an offer immediately.
