delfino
/delˈfi.no/masculine
The English word dolphin is translated into Italian as delfino.
delfino is a masculine noun used to refer to an aquatic mammal.
Meaning: aquatic mammal (noun)
How does it change in a sentence?
The plural of the masculine noun delfino is delfini.
How do you pronounce it?
The word has 3 syllables, with the stress on the 2nd syllable. It is pronounced /delˈfi.no/.
Did you know?
- The word delfino shares the same root as the title 'Dauphin', which was used for the eldest son of the King of France.
- In Italian heraldry, a delfino is often depicted as a 'fish' with scales and gills rather than a smooth-skinned mammal.
- The word delfino follows a common pattern in Italian where many words ending in '-ino' are diminutive, though here it is simply the standard form.
Examples in context
- Il delfino è un mammifero.The dolphin is a mammal.Tatoeba #756536 by Guybrush88, translation #8212976 by Adelpa
- Un delfino è un mammifero.A dolphin is a mammal.Tatoeba #1271739 by Guybrush88, translation #65812 by CK
- Il delfino è un tipo di mammifero.A dolphin is a kind of mammal.Tatoeba #756625 by Guybrush88, translation #65811 by CK
- La splendida creatura che nuotava nell'oceano era un delfino.The magnificent creature swimming in the ocean was a dolphin.
- Guarda, c'è un delfinetto nell'acqua!Look, there's a little dolphin in the water!
- 9 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Matteo and Martina are watching the ocean from a boat.
- MatteoGuarda, Martina, c'è un delfino!Look, Martina, there is a dolphin!
- MartinaChe bello, è un delfino bellissimo.How beautiful, it is a beautiful dolphin.
- MatteoÈ davvero un delfino molto raro.It is truly a very rare dolphin.
- MartinaSiamo fortunati a vederlo, Matteo.We are lucky to see it, Matteo.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “dolphin” translations and entries delfino, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries delfino, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
