morto
/ˈmɔr.to/
The Italian word for dead is morto.
morto is an adjective used to describe someone or something that is no longer alive. In Italian, when stating that someone has died, the verb essere (to be) is used with morto to describe their state or morire (to die) is used to describe the action.
Meaning: no longer alive (adj)
Which one should you use?
While morto is the standard word for dead, deceduto is a more formal, clinical or legal term used in official contexts. Conversely, crepato (masc.) is a colloquial expression to say dead, as is crepata (fem.).
How does it change in a sentence?
The adjective must agree in gender with the noun it describes, so use morta for feminine subjects. The adjective must agree in number with the noun, so use morti for masculine plural subjects and morte for feminine plural subjects.
How do you pronounce it?
/ˈmɔr.to/
Did you know?
- The phrase morto di fame literally means 'dead of hunger' but is used colloquially to describe someone who is very poor or desperately greedy.
- The colloquial term crepato comes from the verb crepare, which means 'to crack' or 'to burst'. It is a harsh way to say someone died, akin to 'croaked' in English.
- In Italian, morto can describe a place or a street that is completely empty and silent, similar to the English 'ghost town'.
Examples in context
- Il cane è morto.The dog is dead.This sentence illustrates the use of morto to describe a dog.Tatoeba #377216 by Pharamp, translation #508844 by kebukebu
- Tom non è morto.Tom is not dead.This sentence shows the negation of the state of being dead using morto.Tatoeba #1999786 by Guybrush88, translation #1841462 by CK
- È vero, è morto.It's true, he's dead.This sentence confirms the state of being dead using morto.Tatoeba #6945290 by Guybrush88, translation #6945052 by shekitten
- La regina è morta questa mattina.The queen has died this morning.
- Il signor Rossi è deceduto all'età di 80 anni.Mr. Rossi passed away at the age of 80.
- La mosca è crepata dopo essere stata schiacciata.The fly died after being squashed.
- La sua carriera politica è tramontata dopo lo scandalo.His political career came to an end after the scandal.
- 375 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Matteo and Chiara are looking at a withered plant in the garden.
- MatteoGuarda, questo fiore è morto.Look, this flower is dead.
- ChiaraPeccato, era molto bello.What a pity, it was very beautiful.
- MatteoPurtroppo non ha ricevuto abbastanza acqua.Unfortunately it didn't get enough water.
- ChiaraLo sapevo, è troppo secco.I knew it, it is too dry.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “dead” translations and entries morto, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
