ballerino
/bal.leˈri.no/masculine
The Italian word for dancer is ballerino. Wiktionary also lists danzatore.
Meaning: person who dances (noun)
Ways to say it
| Italian | IPA | Note |
|---|---|---|
| ballerino | /bal.leˈri.no/ | masculine |
| danzatore | /dan.t͡saˈto.re/ | masculine |
Both ballerino and danzatore refer to a person who dances. However, ballerino is most commonly used specifically to refer to a ballet dancer.
Which one should you use?
While both words mean dancer, ballerino is most commonly used to refer to a ballet dancer.
Related words
How does it change in a sentence?
The masculine singular form ballerino has the feminine form ballerina for a female dancer. For plural forms, the masculine plural is ballerini and the feminine plural is ballerine.
How do you pronounce it?
/bal.leˈri.no/. The word has 4 syllables and the stress is on the 3rd syllable.
When do people say it?
Note that Ballerino with a capital letter is also the name of one of Santa Claus's reindeer.
Did you know?
- In some Italian dialects, words related to ballare are used to describe the flickering of a flame or the trembling of a leaf.
- The root of ballerino, the verb ballare, is a distant relative of the English word 'ball', as both share a connection to the concept of dancing or moving in a circle.
- If you are describing a professional dancer in a contemporary or modern context, danzatore often sounds more prestigious and artistic than the more common ballerino.
Examples in context
- È un bravo ballerino, vero?He's a good dancer, isn't he?This sentence is useful for confirming someone's skill as a ballerino.Tatoeba #9728307 by Guybrush88, translation #8527674 by CH
- Tom è un discreto ballerino.Tom is quite a dancer.This sentence is useful for describing someone as a ballerino.Tatoeba #2822210 by Guybrush88, translation #2821620 by CK
- Sono un ballerino terribile.I'm a terrible dancer.This sentence is useful for describing oneself as a ballerino.Tatoeba #6039551 by Guybrush88, translation #1890957 by CK
- Il ballerino è molto talentuosoThe dancer is very talented
- La ballerina danza con graziaThe dancer dances with grace
- La danzerina sta studiando ballettoThe dancer is studying ballet
- 21 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Chiara and Alessandro are at a dance studio.
- ChiaraConosci quel ballerino?Do you know that dancer?
- AlessandroSì, è un ballerino molto famoso.Yes, he is a very famous dancer.
- ChiaraAlessandro, vuoi ballare con lui?Alessandro, do you want to dance with him?
- AlessandroSì, mi piacerebbe molto.Yes, I would like that very much.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “dancer” translations and entries ballerino, danzatore, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries ballerino, danzatore, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
