artiglio
/arˈtiʎ.ʎo/
The English word "claw" translates to artiglio in Italian.
artiglio refers to a curved horny nail.
Meaning: curved horny nail (noun)
Which one should you use?
While artiglio refers to the sharp, curved claw of an animal, unghia is the standard word for a human fingernail or toenail.
Related words
How does it change in a sentence?
The plural form of artiglio is artigli.
How do you pronounce it?
The word is pronounced /arˈtiʎ.ʎo/. It has 3 syllables, and the stress is on the 2nd of 3 syllables.
Did you know?
- The word artiglio is a linguistic cousin to the English word 'article'. Both share the same Latin root, articulus, which refers to a small joint.
- The word artiglio is almost never used to describe the claws of crabs or lobsters, for which Italians typically use chela.
- While 'claw' in English can sometimes refer to a mechanical tool, in Italian, a mechanical 'claw' or grabber is more likely to be called a pinza, which literally means 'pincers'.
Examples in context
- Il gatto mi ha appena piantato un artiglio nel braccio.The cat has just stuck its claw in my arm.This sentence is useful for seeing how to use artiglio.Tatoeba #5252104 by Guybrush88, translation #5263615 by dynamo
- La tigre ha artigli affilati.The tiger has sharp claws.
- L'aquila ha un artiglio molto potente.The eagle has a very powerful claw.
- Il granchio ha un artiglio affilato.The crab has a sharp claw.
Example conversation
Giulia and Alessandro are watching a nature documentary together.
- GiuliaGuarda quell'animale, ha un artiglio lunghissimo!Look at that animal, it has a very long claw!
- AlessandroSì, sembra davvero pericoloso, Giulia.Yes, it looks really dangerous, Giulia.
- GiuliaPovero uccellino, deve aver paura.Poor little bird, it must be afraid.
- AlessandroÈ la legge della natura.It is the law of nature.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “claw” translations and entries artiglio, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries artiglio, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
