cane corso
/ˈka.ne ˈkor.so/word by wordmasculine
The phrase cane corso refers to the dog breed Cane Corso in Italian. If unsure, use cane corso. Wiktionary also lists cane corso italiano.
Meaning: dog breed (noun)
Ways to say it
| Italian | IPA | Note |
|---|---|---|
| cane corso | /ˈka.ne ˈkor.so/ (word by word) | masculine |
| cane corso italiano | /ˈka.ne ˈkor.so i.taˈlja.no/ (word by word) | masculine |
What does it mean word for word?
The word cane means dog.
Which one should you use?
cane corso italiano is the full official name in Italian.
How does it change in a sentence?
As a masculine noun phrase, cane corso does not change its form when used as an adjective to describe the breed.
How do you pronounce it?
The pronunciation is /ˈka.ne ˈkor.so/. It has 4 syllables, and the stress is on the 1st syllable.
Did you know?
- The word corso is a homonym in Italian that can refer to a large, busy street or a seaside promenade in a town. This means a person could theoretically be walking on a corso while walking their cane corso.
- The term corso in cane corso shares its root with the English word 'course' as in a race or path, referring to the dog's historical role in chasing and coursing prey.
- If you describe someone as having 'una vita di cani', you are using a common Italian idiom. While it literally means 'a dog's life', it is used to describe a person living a very miserable or impoverished existence.
Examples in context
- Mi piacerebbe avere un Cane Corso come animale domestico.I would love to have a Cane Corso as a pet.
- I miei amici hanno un bellissimo Cane Corso di nome Dante.My friends have a beautiful Cane Corso named Dante.
- Il cane corso è molto forte.The cane corso is very strong.
- Ho visto un cane corso al parco.I saw a cane corso at the park.
- Il mio cane corso è molto calmo.My cane corso is very calm.
Example conversation
Sofia and Alessandro are talking about pets at a cafe.
- SofiaAlessandro, hai un cane corso?Alessandro, do you have a cane corso?
- AlessandroNo, ho solo un piccolo terrier.No, I only have a small terrier.
- SofiaIl cane corso è troppo grande per me.The cane corso is too big for me.
- AlessandroÈ vero, sono cani molto imponenti.It's true, they are very imposing dogs.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “cane corso” translations, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- IPA marked “word by word” joins the Wiktionary pronunciations of each word (cane, corso, italiano) and can differ in connected speech.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries cane, corso, italiano, CC BY-SA 4.0.
