giorno
/ˈd͡ʒor.no/masculine
The Italian word for "day" is giorno.
giorno refers to a 24-hour period or a specific date. It is also frequently used to mean "daytime" in contrast to notte (night).
Meaning: period of 24 hours (noun)
Is it said differently in some regions?
In some parts of Southern Italy, the word jurnata may be used instead of giornata.
How does it change in a sentence?
The plural form of giorno is giorni.
How do you pronounce it?
/ˈdʒor.no/. It has 2 syllables, with the stress on the 1st syllable.
Did you know?
- While giorno counts the units of time, the related word giornata describes the duration or the experience of the day. An Italian might wish you a buona giornata to cover the entire time remaining until evening.
- The word giorno is a doublet of the word diurno, meaning 'diurnal' or 'daytime', both of which stem from the same root.
- In many Italian cities, you might hear the greeting Buongiorno, which literally combines 'good' and 'day', but it serves as a formal way to say 'hello' until the afternoon.
Examples in context
- Sa che giorno è?Do you know what day it is?This example shows how to ask what the current day is using giorno.Tatoeba #5980297 by Guybrush88, translation #24597 by CK
- Mi dia un giorno.Give me a day.This example demonstrates asking for a single day using giorno.Tatoeba #4274494 by Guybrush88, translation #3151553 by CK
- Oggi è il giorno?Is today the day?This example shows how to ask if today is the specific day being discussed using giorno.Tatoeba #11605665 by Guybrush88, translation #5758154 by CM
- Buongiorno!Good morning!
- Come è andata la tua giornata?How was your day?
- Ho un appuntamento domani mattina.I have an appointment tomorrow morning.
- Ciao! Come stai oggi?Hi! How are you today?
- Che giornata incredibile!What an amazing day!
- Domani abbiamo una festa.Tomorrow we have a party.
- Buona giornata!Have a good day!
- 2906 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Sofia and Alessandro are discussing a deadline for a project.
- SofiaAbbiamo solo un giorno per finire.We only have one day to finish.
- AlessandroPossiamo chiedere un altro giorno?Can we ask for another day?
- SofiaPenso che sia impossibile, Alessandro.I think it is impossible, Alessandro.
- AlessandroAllora lavoriamo tutto il giorno.Then let's work all day.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “day” translations and entries giorno, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries giorno, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
