morte
/ˈmɔr.te/feminine
The English word 'death' is translated into Italian as morte. Wiktionary also lists dipartita and decesso.
Meaning: cessation of life (noun)
Ways to say it
| Italian | IPA | Note |
|---|---|---|
| morte | /ˈmɔr.te/ | feminine |
| dipartita | feminine | |
| decesso | /deˈt͡ʃɛs.so/ | masculine |
| morire | /moˈri.re/ | masculine |
The primary way to express the cessation of life is through the noun morte. When capitalized as Morte, it refers specifically to the personification of Death as a character or entity.
Which one should you use?
The general term for death is morte. For a euphemistic and polite way to refer to death, similar to saying 'passing' or 'departure' in English, use dipartita. In medical, legal or official contexts, the formal term decesso is used to refer to a person's passing.
Related words
How does it change in a sentence?
Morte and dipartita are feminine nouns, whereas decesso is a masculine noun. To express the action of dying, use the infinitive verb morire.
How do you pronounce it?
Morte is pronounced /ˈmɔr.te/. It has 2 syllables, with the stress on the 1st syllable.
Did you know?
- The Italian verb morire shares a common ancestor with the English word 'murder', as both stem from the same Proto-Indo-European root meaning 'to die'.
- The phrase morire di fame is used not only for actual starvation but is the standard way to say 'I am starving' when you are simply very hungry.
- The term decesso is so clinical and cold that it is almost never used when speaking to grieving family members, appearing only on death certificates or in news reports.
Examples in context
- La vita è morte.Life is death.Tatoeba #13313201 by Guybrush88, translation #9770510 by DJ_Saidez
- Io sono la Morte.I am Death.This sentence shows how Morte can be used as a proper name for the personification of Death.Tatoeba #3809246 by Guybrush88, translation #2206117 by loghaD
- Io odio la morte.I hate death.Tatoeba #12922346 by Guybrush88, translation #11240186 by Aznay
- Siamo profondamente addolorati per la morte di tuo padre.We are deeply sorry for the death of your father.
- Sono morto dalla paura!I was scared to death!
- 631 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Francesco and Giulia are discussing a sad news story.
- FrancescoÈ una morte molto tragica.It is a very tragic death.
- GiuliaSì, è davvero terribile.Yes, it is truly terrible.
- FrancescoLa morte arriva sempre all'improvviso.Death always arrives suddenly.
- GiuliaPurtroppo è la verità.Unfortunately, that is the truth.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “death” translations and entries morte, dipartita, decesso, morire, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries decesso, morire, morte, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
