Ways to say it
| Italian | IPA |
|---|---|
| sporco | /ˈspɔr.ko/ |
| sudicio | /ˈsu.di.t͡ʃo/ |
The adjective is used to describe something that is covered with or contains dirt. You can also use related verbs such as sporcare and sporcarsi to mean to become soiled, or sporcare, insudiciare and lordare to mean to make something dirty.
Which one should you use?
While sporco is the standard term for dirty, the verb lordare specifically implies making something dirty by smearing or staining it with a substance like ink or paint.
Is it said differently in some regions?
In northern and central Italy, the term sporcaccio is occasionally used as a more intense variation of sporco to emphasize extreme dirtiness.
Related words
How does it change in a sentence?
The adjective sporco must agree in gender and number with the noun it modifies. The feminine singular form is sporca, the masculine plural form is sporchi and the feminine plural form is sporche.
How do you pronounce it?
/ˈspɔr.ko/. It has 2 syllables, with the stress on the 1st syllable.
Did you know?
- The word sporco shares an ancient root with the Proto-Indo-European word *sperH-, which is the same ancestor that produced the English word 'spurn'.
- Calling a person sporco can be a harsh insult aimed at their moral character and integrity rather than their actual hygiene.
- You can use sporco to describe a look or a glance that is filled with suspicion or malice.
Examples in context
- Il bagno è sporco.The bathroom is dirty.This sentence shows how to describe a bathroom being sporco.Tatoeba #2806421 by Guybrush88, translation #1869829 by Spamster
- Il frigo è sporco.The refrigerator is dirty.This sentence shows how to describe a refrigerator being sporco.Tatoeba #5162344 by Guybrush88, translation #5162342 by CarpeLanam
- Jim è così sporco.Jim is so dirty.This sentence shows how to describe a person being sporco.Tatoeba #6320583 by Guybrush88, translation #5817796 by OsoHombre
- La finestra è sporca.The window is dirty.
- Il tavolo è sporco.The table is dirty.
- La macchina è sporca.The car is dirty.
- Sei un sporcaccione!You're such a dirty person!
- 75 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Sofia and Francesco are cleaning the kitchen together.
- SofiaFrancesco, guarda questo piatto sporco!Francesco, look at this dirty plate!
- FrancescoLo metto subito nella lavastoviglie.I'll put it in the dishwasher right away.
- SofiaIl pavimento è ancora molto sporco.The floor is still very dirty.
- FrancescoHai ragione, passo lo straccio adesso.You're right, I'll mop it now.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “dirty” translations and entries sporco, sudicio, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries sporco, sudicio, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
