cane
/ˈka.ne/masculine
The Italian word for dog is cane.
cane refers to the animal (noun).
Meaning: animal (noun)
Which one should you use?
While cane is the general term for a dog, cagna is the specific term used for a female dog.
How does it change in a sentence?
The plural form of cane is cani. While cane is a masculine noun, you may use cagna when referring specifically to a female dog.
How do you pronounce it?
/ˈka.ne/. The stressed syllable is the 1st of 2.
Did you know?
- To say someone is very ugly in Italian, you can say they are brutto come un cane, which means 'ugly as a dog'.
- Calling someone a cane in Italian is a common insult meaning they are clumsy or very poor at a specific skill or sport.
- The Latin root of cane, which is 'canis', is the same ancestor that gives us the English scientific term 'canine'.
Examples in context
- Il cane è mio.The dog is mine.This sentence shows how to use cane to indicate ownership.Tatoeba #521108 by Pharamp, translation #493294 by CM
- Io ho un cane.I have a dog.This sentence shows how to use cane with the verb for having.Tatoeba #1831046 by Guybrush88, translation #378502 by CK
- Il cane è suo.The dog is yours.This sentence shows how to use cane to indicate possession.Tatoeba #2352458 by Guybrush88, translation #897307 by Scott
- Il cane è un animale fedele.The dog is a loyal animal.
- Mio fratello ha un cane.My brother has a dog.
- Il mio vicino ha un cagnolino molto carino.My neighbor has a very cute little dog.
- Ciao, bel cane!Hello, beautiful dog!
- Vieni qui, cane!Come here, dog!
- 3207 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Giulia and Alessandro are walking in a park.
- GiuliaGuarda che bel cane!Look at that beautiful dog!
- AlessandroÈ molto simpatico.It is very friendly.
- GiuliaVuoi accarezzare il cane?Do you want to pet the dog?
- AlessandroSì, mi piacciono molto.Yes, I like them a lot.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “dog” translations and entries cane, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries cane, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
