minatore di carbone
/mi.naˈto.re di karˈbo.ne/word by word
The Italian phrase for coal miner is minatore di carbone.
What does it mean word for word?
The phrase is composed of minatore (miner) and di carbone (of coal).
How does it change in a sentence?
The masculine form minatore changes to the feminine minatrice when referring to a female coal miner. To refer to coal miners in the plural, use the plural form of the noun, which is minatori di carbone.
Did you know?
- The word minatore comes from the verb minare, which means 'to undermine' or 'to mine'. In modern Italian, minare is also used metaphorically to describe undermining someone's authority or confidence.
- The root of carbone traces back to the Proto-Indo-European word *ker, meaning 'to burn'. This makes it a distant relative of the English word 'char'.
- The term minatore is used for any type of miner, but in historical contexts, the phrase minatore di carbone evokes the specific social struggles of the Sardinian carboniferous basins.
Examples in context
- Ero un minatore di carbone.I used to be a coal miner.This sentence is useful for expressing a past occupation using minatore di carbone.Tatoeba #5860932 by Guybrush88, translation #5860534 by CK
- Tom è un minatore di carbone.Tom is a coal miner.This sentence is useful for stating someone's current profession using minatore di carbone.Tatoeba #10739327 by Guybrush88, translation #6357918 by CK
- Il mio bisnonno era un minatore di carbone.My great-grandfather was a coal miner.
- Conosci Giovanni? È un minatore del carbone.Do you know Giovanni? He's a coal miner.
- Mio nonno era un minatore di carbone.My grandfather was a coal miner.
- 1 more sentence on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Giulia and Francesco are looking at an old family photo.
- GiuliaChi è questo uomo nella foto?Who is this man in the photo?
- FrancescoEra un minatore di carbone molto coraggioso.He was a very brave coal miner.
- GiuliaEra un lavoro davvero difficile.It was a really difficult job.
- FrancescoSì, ma era molto orgoglioso del suo lavoro.Yes, but he was very proud of his work.
Sources
- IPA marked “word by word” joins the Wiktionary pronunciations of each word (minatore, di, carbone) and can differ in connected speech.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries carbone, di, minatore, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
