cinguettare
The Italian verb for 'chirp' (referring to birds) is cinguettare.
cinguettare is used specifically to describe the melodic sounds made by birds. If you are referring to the sound made by insects, such as crickets, you should use frinire.
Meaning: birds (verb)
Which one should you use?
While cinguettare is the standard term for bird chirping, frinire is used for the sounds of insects. For the actual sound of a bird chirping, you can use the noun cinguettio, while trillo and cinguettare are also related to bird sounds.
Related words
How does it change in a sentence?
The third-person plural present tense form of cinguettare is cinguettano, meaning 'they chirp'.
Did you know?
- The word cinguettare is onomatopoeic, meaning it was created to mimic the actual sound of a bird's voice.
- In Italian, using cinguettare to describe a person's voice is not just about speed, but often implies a high-pitched or childlike quality.
- The word cinguettare is so closely tied to bird song that it is often used in Italian literature to evoke the arrival of spring or a sense of pastoral peace.
Examples in context
- Ho sentito il dolce cinguettio degli uccelli nel parco.I heard the sweet chirping of birds in the park.
- Ho sentito dei passerotti che facevano "cip cip" nel giardino.I heard some little sparrows making "chirp chirp" in the garden.
- I cani abbaiavano, i gatti facevano "miao," e gli uccellini "chirichì".The dogs were barking, the cats were meowing, and the little birds were chirping.
- Ieri mattina, le gazze stavano cinguettando rumorosamente sui rami.Yesterday morning, the magpies were chirping loudly on the branches.
- Cip cip! Gli uccellini hanno iniziato a cantare nel giardino di nonna Maria.Chirp chirp! The little birds started singing in Grandma Maria's garden.
- Gli uccelli cinguettano tra gli alberi.The birds are chirping among the trees.
- Gli uccelli iniziano a cinguettare all'alba.The birds begin to chirp at dawn.
- Gli uccelli continuano a cinguettare fuori dalla finestra.The birds continue to chirp outside the window.
Example conversation
Lorenzo and Giulia are waking up in a hotel room.
- LorenzoGiulia, senti gli uccellini cinguettare?Giulia, do you hear the little birds chirping?
- GiuliaSì, è un suono molto rilassante.Yes, it is a very relaxing sound.
- LorenzoÈ il modo migliore per svegliarsi.It is the best way to wake up.
- GiuliaSono d'accordo, Lorenzo.I agree, Lorenzo.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “chirp” translations and entries cinguettare, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries cinguettare, CC BY-SA 4.0.
