Which one should you use?
While campione is the standard term, you might use the formal term vincitore (winner) or the even more formal trionfatore to describe someone who has achieved a triumphant victory. In casual speech, you can use the colloquialism numero uno to signify that someone is the best or the informal term asso to refer to a champion or a top player as an 'ace'.
How does it change in a sentence?
The masculine singular form is campione. To refer to a female champion, use the feminine form campionessa. If you are referring to a group of male champions or a mixed-gender group, use the masculine plural form campioni.
How do you pronounce it?
The word has three syllables and the stress is on the second syllable: /kamˈpjo.ne/.
What mistakes should you avoid?
Be careful not to confuse campione with the English word 'campaigner'. In Italian, a person who is campaigning for a cause is typically called a sostenitore or an attivista.
Did you know?
- Beyond sports, campione is the standard Italian word for a 'sample' or 'specimen', such as a perfume sample or a fabric swatch.
- The Italian word campione shares a surprising linguistic history with the English word 'champion', as both trace back to the Latin word 'campus', meaning 'level ground' or 'field'.
- In Italian, if you call a friend campione, you are not just praising their skill, but using a common way to say 'champ' or 'expert' in a friendly, almost ironic way.
Examples in context
- Lui è il campione.He is the champion.This sentence is useful for identifying a specific champion.Tatoeba #4256076 by BEASY8, translation #4256075 by BEASY8
- Tom è un ex campione.Tom is a former champion.This sentence is useful for describing someone as a former champion.Tatoeba #5981611 by Guybrush88, translation #5265293 by CK
- Ho affrontato il campione.I faced the champion.This sentence is useful for describing facing a champion.Tatoeba #1653861 by Guybrush88, translation #1365739 by marcelostockle
- Il campione di tennis ha mostrato un gioco straordinario.The tennis champion displayed an extraordinary game.
- Il trionfatore dell'evento si è guadagnato l'ammirazione di tutti.The triumphant champion of the event has earned the admiration of everyone.
- Come hai fatto a segnare quel gol? Sei un vero campione!How did you score that goal? You're a true champion!
- 32 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Martina and Matteo are talking about a sports tournament.
- MartinaHai visto chi ha vinto il torneo?Did you see who won the tournament?
- MatteoSì, Matteo è diventato il nuovo campione!Yes, Matteo became the new champion!
- MartinaÈ incredibile, se lo meritava davvero.It's incredible, he really deserved it.
- MatteoOra ogni atleta vorrà battere il campione.Now every athlete will want to beat the champion.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “champion” translations and entries campione, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries campione, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
