piangere
/ˈpjan.d͡ʒe.re/
The English phrase 'cry' is translated into Italian as piangere.
piangere is used to mean shedding tears. You may also encounter the phrase versare lacrime to express the act of shedding tears.
Meaning: intransitive: to shed tears (verb)
Which one should you use?
While piangere refers specifically to the act of shedding tears, the word urlo refers to a shout or a scream.
Related words
How does it change in a sentence?
piangere is an intransitive verb, which means it does not take a direct object. The noun form used to describe the act of crying or weeping is pianto.
How do you pronounce it?
The word has 3 syllables, with the stress on the first syllable: /ˈpjan.dʒe.re/.
Did you know?
- The Italian word piangere is a linguistic cousin to the French word plaindre, which means 'to pity' or 'to complain'.
- Italian has a specific term lacrimare for the physiological act of eyes watering, which is distinct from the emotional act of piangere.
- The related word pianto is used in the term pianto funebre, which refers specifically to the ritualistic professional wailing performed at ancient or traditional funerals.
Examples in context
- Cosa ti fa piangere?What makes you cry?This sentence uses piangere to ask what causes someone to cry.Tatoeba #3533474 by Guybrush88, translation #2237863 by CK
- Io lo feci piangere.I made him cry.This sentence uses piangere to describe making someone cry.Tatoeba #4590651 by Guybrush88, translation #1657715 by Spamster
- Provò a non piangere.She tried not to cry.This sentence uses piangere to describe an attempt to refrain from crying.Tatoeba #1271057 by Guybrush88, translation #313200 by CK
- Mi fa male, piangoIt hurts, I cry
- Ho bisogno di sfogarmi con un piantoI need to let it out with a cry
- Quando guardo quel film triste, piango sempre.When I watch that sad movie, I always cry.
- Dopo la rottura, ho versato molte lacrime.After the breakup, I shed many tears.
- 364 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Sofia is watching a sad movie with Francesco.
- SofiaQuesto film mi fa piangere sempre.This movie always makes me cry.
- FrancescoNon piangere, Sofia, finisce bene!Don't cry, Sofia, it ends well!
- SofiaÈ troppo triste per non piangere.It is too sad not to cry.
- FrancescoHai ragione, è davvero commovente.You are right, it is truly touching.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “cry” translations and entries piangere, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries piangere, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
