cervello
/t͡ʃerˈvɛl.lo/common, masculine
The Italian word for brain is cervello. Wiktionary also lists encefalo.
Meaning: organ (noun)
Ways to say it
| Italian | IPA | Note |
|---|---|---|
| cervello | /t͡ʃerˈvɛl.lo/ | common, masculine |
| encefalo | /enˈt͡ʃɛ.fa.lo/ | masculine |
The term cervello refers to the biological organ. Similar to English, it can also be used metonymically to refer to a person's intelligence or intellect. For scientific or anatomical descriptions, one might use the phrase materia grigia, which means grey matter.
Which one should you use?
Cervello is the common and standard term for the organ.
How does it change in a sentence?
Both cervello and encefalo are masculine nouns.
How do you pronounce it?
The word is pronounced /tʃerˈvɛl.lo/. It has three syllables, with the stress on the second syllable.
Did you know?
- While cervello is the standard word for brain, the plural form cervella is often used specifically in culinary contexts to refer to calf brains as a dish.
- Italian uses the expression scervellarsi as a reflexive verb to describe the act of racking one's brain to solve a difficult problem.
- To describe a 'brainstorming' session, Italians often use the English term or say tempesta di idee, which literally translates to 'storm of ideas'.
Examples in context
- Ha un buon cervello.He has a good brain.This sentence shows how to describe someone's intelligence using cervello.Tatoeba #2414990 by Guybrush88, translation #301985 by CM
- Odio il mio cervello.I hate my brain.This sentence expresses a personal feeling about one's own cervello.Tatoeba #12922594 by Guybrush88, translation #9940062 by shekitten
- Il mio cervello è pieno.My brain is full.This sentence uses cervello to describe a state of being mentally saturated.Tatoeba #2347075 by Guybrush88, translation #280148 by CM
- Una lesione al cervelloA brain injury
- Il mio cervellino lavora sempre al massimo nelle ore notturneMy little brain always works at its best during the nighttime
- Il mio cervello non riesce proprio a risolvere questo problema matematicoMy brain just can't solve this math problem
- È necessario allenare il cervello attraverso l'apprendimento continuoIt's necessary to train the brain through continuous learning
- I neuroni nel mio cervello lavorano instancabilmenteThe neurons in my brain work tirelessly
- 72 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
A science museum during a tour.
- FrancescoGuarda questo modello del cervello.Look at this model of the brain.
- ChiaraÈ molto dettagliato, Francesco.It is very detailed, Francesco.
- FrancescoSì, Chiara, è molto interessante.Yes, Chiara, it is very interesting.
- ChiaraVorrei imparare di più.I would like to learn more.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “brain” translations and entries cervello, encefalo, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
