cane
/ˈka.ne/masculine
The English word dog is cane in Italian.
Cane is the most common and neutral term for dog in Italian. Other specific terms include cagnolino for a puppy or little dog and is often used affectionately, segugio refers to a hound or a specific breed of hunting dog, randagio denotes a stray dog and cagnaccio is used to describe a big, intimidating dog, often with a slightly negative connotation.
Meaning: animal (noun)
How does it change in a sentence?
Cane is a masculine noun. The plural form of cane is cani. The feminine form of cane is cagna.
How do you pronounce it?
/ˈka.ne/. The word has 2 syllables, with the stress on 1 of 2.
Did you know?
- The term canicola refers to the 'dog days' of summer, stemming from the star Sirius, known as the Dog Star.
- In Italian, the phrase tempo da cani refers to terrible, rainy weather rather than the quality of a person's character.
- In Italian, the feminine form cagna is not just a biological descriptor but can function as a very strong and highly offensive slur against women.
Examples in context
- Il cane è mio.The dog is mine.This sentence shows how to use cane to indicate possession.Tatoeba #521108 by Pharamp, translation #493294 by CM
- Io ho un cane.I have a dog.This sentence demonstrates how to use cane with the verb 'to have'.Tatoeba #1831046 by Guybrush88, translation #378502 by CK
- Il cane è suo.The dog is yours.Tatoeba #2352458 by Guybrush88, translation #897307 by Scott
- Mio padre preferisce i bau bau ai mici.My father prefers dogs to cats.
- 3207 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Sofia and Francesco are walking in a park.
- SofiaVedi quel cane bianco?Do you see that white dog?
- FrancescoSì, è molto carino.Yes, he is very cute.
- SofiaFrancesco, vuoi giocare con lui?Francesco, do you want to play with him?
- FrancescoSì, mi piacciono molto i cani.Yes, I like dogs a lot.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “dog” translations and entries cane, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
