decente
/deˈt͡ʃɛn.te/
The English word 'decent' can be translated into Italian as decente.
decente is used to describe something that is fair, good enough or okay. It can imply a level of quality that is satisfactory or respectable. When describing a person's behavior or a specific situation, it carries a nuance of being socially acceptable or respectable.
Meaning: fair, good enough, okay (adj)
Which one should you use?
While decente can mean 'fair' or 'okay' in English, in Italian it often carries a nuance of 'satisfactory' or 'respectable' regarding quality or behavior.
How does it change in a sentence?
The adjective decente is invariable for gender, meaning it is the same for both masculine and feminine singular nouns. The plural form of decente is decenti for both masculine and feminine nouns.
How do you pronounce it?
The word has three syllables, with the stress on the second syllable: /deˈtʃɛn.te/.
Did you know?
- The Latin root of decente is the participle of decet, which is a third-person singular verb. This means the word's very essence is 'it is fitting'.
- When discussing clothing, saying an outfit is decente focuses more on the fact that it is 'modest' or 'appropriate' for the setting rather than its style or quality.
- In Italian, calling a person decente can sometimes sound like a backhanded compliment. It may imply they are merely 'respectable' or 'proper' rather than truly exceptional.
Examples in context
- Il cibo è decente.The food is decent.This sentence shows how to use decente to describe food in the present tense.Tatoeba #11093566 by Guybrush88, translation #11082931 by LeeSooHa
- Il cibo era decente.The food was decent.This sentence shows how to use decente to describe food in the past tense.Tatoeba #4530782 by Guybrush88, translation #4494874 by CK
- Feci un pasto decente.I had a decent meal.This sentence shows how to use decente to describe a meal.Tatoeba #7071583 by Guybrush88, translation #3724556 by CM
- La pizza è buona.The pizza is decent/good.
- Il libro è buono.The book is decent/good.
- Il servizio al ristorante è buono.The restaurant service is decent/good.
- La pasta è niente male!The pasta is not bad!
- Il tuo comportamento è molto corretto.Your behavior is very decent/appropriate.
- 22 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Francesco and Martina are discussing a movie they just watched.
- FrancescoIl film era decente, secondo me.The movie was decent, in my opinion.
- MartinaSì, era una storia abbastanza decente.Yes, it was a fairly decent story.
- FrancescoMa non era un capolavoro.But it wasn't a masterpiece.
- MartinaHai ragione, Francesco.You are right, Francesco.
Sources
- Pronunciation: Wiktionary entry decente, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries decente, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
