conchiglia
/konˈkiʎ.ʎa/
The English phrase "conch shell" is translated into Italian as conchiglia.
conchiglia refers to the hard, spiral outer shell of a sea snail.
How does it change in a sentence?
The plural form of conchiglia is conchiglie.
How do you pronounce it?
The word has 3 syllables, with the stress on the second syllable. The IPA pronunciation is /konˈkiʎ.ʎa/.
Did you know?
- In Italian, the word conchiglia is also used to describe the shape of certain pasta varieties, such as conchiglie which look like small shells.
- The word conchiglia is derived from the Latin conchȳlium, which originated from the Ancient Greek word for a 'small mussel'.
- While English distinguishes between a 'conch' and a 'seashell', Italian uses conchiglia as a general term for any seashell regardless of its shape.
Examples in context
- Ho trovato una grande conchiglia sulla spiaggia.I found a large conch shell on the beach.
- Guarda che bella questa conchiglia bianca.Look how beautiful this white conch shell is.
- C'è una piccola conchiglia dentro il sacchetto.There is a small conch shell inside the bag.
Example conversation
Two friends are walking along the shore after a storm.
- FrancescoGiulia, guarda questa conchiglia!Giulia, look at this conch shell!
- GiuliaÈ bellissima, Francesco.It is beautiful, Francesco.
- FrancescoVuoi metterla nella tua borsa?Do you want to put it in your bag?
- GiuliaSì, la porterò a casa.Yes, I will take it home.
Sources
- Pronunciation: Wiktionary entry conchiglia, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries conchiglia, CC BY-SA 4.0.
