nonostante
/no.nosˈtan.te/
The English phrase 'despite' can be translated into Italian using nonostante. Wiktionary also lists malgrado.
Meaning: in spite of (prep)
Ways to say it
| Italian | IPA |
|---|---|
| nonostante | /no.nosˈtan.te/ |
| malgrado | /malˈɡra.do/ |
Both nonostante and malgrado mean 'in spite of'. Additionally, the adverbial phrase nonostante ciò is commonly used at the start of a sentence to mean 'despite this' or 'nevertheless'.
Which one should you use?
While both words express the same meaning, malgrado is a more formal or literary synonym for nonostante.
Is it said differently in some regions?
In the Venetian dialect, the form malgra may be used instead of malgrado.
How does it change in a sentence?
nonostante can function as both a preposition followed by a noun and a conjunction followed by a clause.
How do you pronounce it?
nonostante is pronounced /no.nosˈtan.te/. It has 4 syllables, with the stress on the 3rd syllable.
Did you know?
- In Italian, malgrado can sometimes be used in a noun form to mean 'the spite' or 'the resentment' of someone, rather than just the preposition.
- The word malgrado is built from the Latin roots for 'bad' and 'grateful', making its literal meaning 'ungratefulness'.
- In Italian, the root of malgrado appears in the phrase di buongrado, which describes something received with pleasure.
Examples in context
- Amo Tom nonostante le sue colpe.I love Tom despite his faults.This sentence shows how to use nonostante to express love despite someone's faults.Tatoeba #13212964 by Guybrush88, translation #5736117 by CM
- Andò a sciare nonostante il freddo.He went skiing despite the cold weather.This sentence uses nonostante to describe an action taken despite the cold weather.Tatoeba #13645545 by Nuel, translation #13645544 by Nuel
- Nonostante l'età, ha sempre un aspetto giovanile.Despite his age, he always has a youthful appearance.This sentence demonstrates the use of nonostante to describe a youthful appearance despite someone's age.Tatoeba #11514287 by Nuel, translation #11514232 by Nuel
- Nonostante il maltempo, siamo andati al mare.Despite the bad weather, we went to the beach.
- Malgrado i suoi problemi di salute, ha continuato a lavorare.Despite his health issues, he continued to work.
- Nonostante tutto quello che hai fatto, ti perdono.Despite everything you have done, I forgive you.
- Nonostante il traffico, Marco è arrivato in tempo.Despite the traffic, Marco arrived on time.
- Nonostante le difficoltà finanziarie, hanno deciso di andare in vacanza.Despite the financial difficulties, they decided to go on vacation.
- Nonostante il mare mossoDespite the rough sea
- Nonostante la faticaDespite the fatigue
- Nonostante tutti gli ostacoliDespite all the obstacles
- 50 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Sofia and Lorenzo are talking about a walk in the rain.
- SofiaUsciamo a camminare nonostante la pioggia?Shall we go for a walk despite the rain?
- LorenzoSì, non mi importa se ci bagniamo.Yes, I don't mind if we get wet.
- SofiaOttimo, prendo l'ombrello per sicurezza.Great, I'll take the umbrella just in case.
- LorenzoVa bene, Lorenzo è pronto a partire.All right, Lorenzo is ready to go.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “despite” translations and entries nonostante, malgrado, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries malgrado, nonostante, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
