portiere
/porˈtjɛ.re/
The Italian word for doorman is portiere.
The term refers to a man who holds open the door at the entrance to a building.
Meaning: man who holds open the door at the entrance to a building (noun)
How does it change in a sentence?
The feminine form of portiere is portiera. The masculine plural form of portiere is portieri.
How do you pronounce it?
The word has 3 syllables, with the stress on the 2nd syllable. The IPA is /porˈtjɛ.re/.
Did you know?
- The word portiere is also used in sports to describe a goalkeeper in soccer, as they are the 'gatekeeper' of the goal.
- The feminine form portiera has a second, very common meaning: it is the standard Italian word for a 'car door'.
- The word portiere shares the same Latin root, porta, as the English word 'port', which originally meant a gate or entrance.
Examples in context
- Mi scusi, potrebbe chiamare il portiere?Excuse me, could you please call the doorman?
- Gentile custode, potrebbe aprire la porta per me, per favore?Dear doorman, could you please open the door for me?
- Il portiere è molto gentile.The doorman is very kind.
- Ho parlato con il portiere dell'edificio.I spoke with the building's doorman.
- Cerchiamo un portiere per questo palazzo.We are looking for a doorman for this building.
Example conversation
Matteo and Martina are discussing their new apartment.
- MatteoC'è un portiere in questo palazzo?Is there a doorman in this building?
- MartinaSì, il portiere è molto disponibile.Yes, the doorman is very helpful.
- MatteoÈ un buon segno per noi.That is a good sign for us.
- MartinaSì, ci aiuterà con i pacchi.Yes, he will help us with the packages.
Sources
- Pronunciation: Wiktionary entry portiere, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries portiere, CC BY-SA 4.0.
