carrello
/karˈrɛl.lo/masculine
The English word 'cart' can be translated into Italian as carrello, carretto or carro depending on the context.
Meaning: small, open, wheeled vehicle (noun)
Ways to say it
| Italian | IPA | Note |
|---|---|---|
| carrello | /karˈrɛl.lo/ | masculine |
| carretto | /karˈret.to/ | masculine |
| carro | /ˈkar.ro/ | masculine |
The term refers to a small, open, wheeled vehicle.
Which one should you use?
In Italian, the forms are distinguished by scale and type: use carrello for a small trolley or a shopping cart. Use carretto for a small, often rustic or traditional, two-wheeled handcart. And use carro for larger, heavier vehicles such as wagons or carts used for heavy transport or in historical contexts. There is also an idiom, mettere il carro davanti ai buoi, which means 'to put the cart before the horse' but literally translates to 'putting the cart before the oxen'.
How does it change in a sentence?
All three primary forms, carretto, carrello and carro, are masculine nouns.
How do you pronounce it?
The pronunciation of carrello is /karˈrɛl.lo/. It has 3 syllables, and the stress is on the 2nd syllable.
Did you know?
- In Sicily, the carretto siciliano is a traditional, brightly painted cart used as a mobile canvas to tell stories of knights and legends.
- The term carrello is used in filmmaking and photography to describe the dolly or tracking shot camera rig.
- The word carro is used in Italian to describe the massive floats seen during the Carnival of Venice or the Carnival of Viareggio.
Examples in context
- Tom spingeva il carrello per sua madre.Tom pushed the shopping cart for his mother.This sentence shows Tom pushing a carrello for his mother.Tatoeba #5103706 by Guybrush88, translation #1164307 by CK
- Alcuni sostengono che la società dovrebbe essere corretta per prima cosa, ma ciò equivale a mettere il carro davanti ai buoi.Some say society should be corrected first, but that is to put the cart before the horse.This sentence uses the idiom involving the word carro to express doing things in the wrong order.Tatoeba #12751336 by Guybrush88, translation #265348 by papabear
- Per usare uno dei carrelli della spesa messi a disposizione dal negozio, è necessario inserire una monetina nella serratura montata sul carrello.In order to use one of the shopping carts the store provides, you have to insert a small coin into the lock mounted on the cart.This sentence describes the process of using a carrello in a store.Tatoeba #10536667 by Guybrush88, translation #10173032 by ddnktr
- Ho bisogno di un carrello per portare la mia valigia.I need a cart to carry my suitcase.
- Metti la spesa nel carrello.Put the groceries in the cart.
- Il carro dei contadini è pieno di fieno.The farmers' cart is full of hay.
- Abbiamo noleggiato un carro per trasportare le merci.We rented a cart to transport the goods.
- Il bimbo si diverte a tirare il carrettino rosso.The child enjoys pulling the little red cart.
- Vedo spesso carrettini per la spesa colorati al supermercato.I often see colorful shopping carts at the supermarket.
- Metti le mele nel cestino.Put the apples in the cart/basket.
- Porta il cestino dei giochi, per favore.Bring the toy cart/basket, please.
- 5 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Sofia and Alessandro are at a supermarket.
- SofiaAlessandro, mi aiuti con questo carrello?Alessandro, can you help me with this cart?
- AlessandroCerto, Sofia, è molto pesante.Sure, Sofia, it is very heavy.
- SofiaSì, sembra quasi pieno di pacchi di pasta.Yes, it seems almost full of pasta packets.
- AlessandroAndiamo subito alla cassa con il carrello.Let's go to the checkout immediately with the cart.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “cart” translations and entries carrello, carretto, carro, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
