soffiare
/sofˈfja.re/
To blow in Italian is soffiare.
Soffiare is used to describe forcing a current of air, whether by using your mouth or through natural means like the wind. If you want to say you are blowing something away or blowing it off, you can use the expression soffiare via. To specifically say "blow out the candles," use the phrase spegnere le candele soffiando.
Meaning: to force a current of air upon with the mouth, or by other means (verb)
Which one should you use?
While soffiare via is used for blowing something away, you can use spazzare via if you want to emphasize that something is being blown away forcefully or swiftly.
How does it change in a sentence?
The third-person singular present indicative and the second-person singular imperative form of soffiare is soffia. The past participle of soffiare is soffiato, and the gerund form is soffiando.
How do you pronounce it?
The pronunciation of soffiare is /sofˈfja.re/. It has 3 syllables, and the stress is on the 2nd of 3 syllables.
Did you know?
- To 'blow a fuse' in English is expressed in Italian using saltare, which means 'to jump', as in è saltata la corrente.
- The Italian verb soffiare can also mean 'to leak' when talking about air or gas escaping from a container, such as a tire.
- If you are describing a person who is 'blowing' or 'stealing' an idea, Italians might use soffiare in a way that suggests the idea was snatched away like a breeze.
Examples in context
- Non soffiare in un alveare.Don't blow in a beehive.Tatoeba #1309979 by Guybrush88, translation #453813 by saasmath
- Un forte vento iniziò a soffiare.A strong wind began to blow.This sentence shows how to describe the wind using soffiare.Tatoeba #13453394 by Guybrush88, translation #5336161 by Amittai
- In inverno, mi piace stare a casa vicino al fuoco e ascoltare il vento soffiare.In the winter, I like to stay at home near the fire and listen to the wind blow.Tatoeba #5132800 by Guybrush88, translation #2030114 by CK
- ho soffiato via la polvereI blew away the dust
- Il vento ha spazzato via l'ombrelloThe wind blew away the umbrella
- Ha spento le candeline soffiando sul suo dolce di compleannoShe blew out the candles on her birthday cake
- Il vento ha fatto volare via le foglie dagli alberiThe wind blew the leaves off the trees
- La raffica di vento ha portato via il mio cappelloThe gust of wind blew away my hat
- 6 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Matteo and Martina are in the kitchen blowing on hot tea.
- MatteoDevi soffiare sul tè perché è troppo caldo.You must blow on the tea because it is too hot.
- MartinaHai ragione, non riesco a berlo così.You are right, I cannot drink it like this.
- MatteoSoffia piano per non schizzarlo ovunque.Blow gently so you don't splash it everywhere.
- MartinaVa bene, ora è un po' meglio.Okay, now it is a bit better.
Sources
- Pronunciation: Wiktionary entry soffiare, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
