canto di Natale
/ˈkan.to di naˈta.le/word by word
The English phrase 'carol' is translated into Italian as canto di Natale.
The term refers to a religious or secular song sung during the Christmas season.
Meaning: religious or secular song sung at Christmastime (noun)
What does it mean word for word?
The phrase is composed of canto (song) and di Natale (of Christmas).
How does it change in a sentence?
To express the plural 'Christmas carols', you change the noun to canti di Natale, pluralizing only the word canto.
How do you pronounce it?
The word has 4 syllables, and the stress is on the first syllable: /ˈkan.to di naˈta.le/.
Did you know?
- The word canto has a homonym in Italian that refers to the 'edge' or 'corner' of an object, derived from the Ancient Greek word kanthós.
- While canto di Natale describes the song, Italians use the word zampognari to describe the traditional street musicians who play the bagpipes during the season.
- Although canto means 'song', it is also the word used in poetry to describe a major section of a long narrative poem, such as Dante's Divina Commedia.
Examples in context
- Qual è il tuo canto di Natale preferito?What's your favorite Christmas carol?This sentence is useful for asking someone about their favorite canto di Natale.Tatoeba #11370455 by Guybrush88, translation #5705362 by CK
- Questo è il mio canto di Natale preferito.This is my favorite carol.This sentence is useful for stating which canto di Natale is your favorite.Tatoeba #13664673 by Guybrush88, translation #12222887 by CK
- Abbiamo imparato un nuovo canto di Natale oggi.We learned a new Christmas carol today.
- 2 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Chiara and Alessandro are organizing a holiday party.
- ChiaraVuoi imparare un nuovo canto di Natale?Do you want to learn a new Christmas carol?
- AlessandroSì, quale canto di Natale suggerisci?Yes, which Christmas carol do you suggest?
- ChiaraPossiamo cantare insieme questo pezzo classico.We can sing this classic piece together.
- AlessandroPerfetto, iniziamo a fare pratica ora.Perfect, let's start practicing now.
Sources
- IPA marked “word by word” joins the Wiktionary pronunciations of each word (canto, di, Natale) and can differ in connected speech.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries Natale, canto, di, natale, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
