orso
/ˈor.so/masculine
The English word bear translates to the Italian noun orso.
Orso refers to the large mammal of the family Ursidae.
Meaning: large mammal of family Ursidae (noun)
Which one should you use?
The masculine form is orso. Use the feminine form orsa when referring specifically to a she-bear. For a group of bears, use the masculine plural orsi to refer to multiple bears or a mixed-gender group. If you are referring to a teddy bear or a small, cute bear, you can use the informal term orsetto.
Related words
How does it change in a sentence?
The noun orso is masculine. The feminine form is orsa and the masculine/mixed plural form is orsi.
How do you pronounce it?
The pronunciation is /ˈor.so/. The stress is on the first of two syllables.
Did you know?
- In Italian, the phrase essere un orso (to be a bear) describes a person who is grumpy, antisocial or withdrawn.
- The Italian word orso comes from the Latin word ursus, which is also the root of the English word 'ursa' used in astronomy for the constellations Ursa Major and Ursa Minor.
- The term orsetto is often used affectionately for a chubby or cuddly small child, moving beyond the literal animal meaning.
Examples in context
- Di chi è l'orso?Whose bear is it?This sentence shows how to use orso to ask about ownership.Tatoeba #4589146 by Guybrush88, translation #4155308 by muriloricci
- Sparò a un orso.He shot a bear.This sentence shows how to use orso in the context of an action being performed on the animal.Tatoeba #8508036 by Guybrush88, translation #8478057 by CH
- Qui vive un orso.Here lives one bear.This sentence shows how to use orso to describe where an animal lives.Tatoeba #6173101 by Guybrush88, translation #2019091 by Balamax
- Ho visto un orso al giardino zoologico.I saw a bear at the zoo.
- Gli orsi sono animali potenti.Bears are powerful animals.
- Hai visto il mio orsetto di peluche?Have you seen my teddy bear?
- 146 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Chiara and Francesco are visiting a zoo.
- ChiaraGuarda, Francesco! Quel grande orso sta dormendo.Look, Francesco! That big bear is sleeping.
- FrancescoÈ incredibile quanto sia grosso!It's incredible how big it is!
- ChiaraSpero che l'orso si svegli presto.I hope the bear wakes up soon.
- FrancescoHai ragione, sarebbe più divertente.You're right, it would be more fun.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “bear” translations and entries orso, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries orso, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
