elefante marino
/e.leˈfan.te maˈri.no/word by word
The English phrase "elephant seal" is translated into Italian as elefante marino.
The term refers to a large species of carnivorous seal found in both the northern and southern hemispheres.
What does it mean word for word?
The phrase is a literal translation of "sea elephant": elefante means elephant and marino means marine or of the sea.
How does it change in a sentence?
To express the plural "elephant seals", both the noun and the adjective must change to elefanti marini.
How do you pronounce it?
The pronunciation is /e.leˈfan.te maˈri.no/. The word has 6 syllables, with the stress on the 3rd syllable.
Did you know?
- In many languages, a suffix like -ino is used to make a word 'cute' or small, such as in topolino for 'little mouse'. However, in elefante marino, the suffix is simply a standard part of the word for 'marine' and does not imply the elephant seal is small or endearing.
- While elefante marino is the standard term, Italians may colloquially refer to the animal as a foca (seal), even though an elephant seal is biologically distinct from the 'true seals' the word usually describes.
- The Italian language groups the elefante marino under the term pinnipedi, which focuses on the animal having 'fin-footed' anatomy rather than being a 'seal'.
Examples in context
- Ho visto un elefante marino allo zoo.I saw an elephant seal at the zoo.
- L'elefante marino è un animale molto grande.The elephant seal is a very large animal.
- Ti piacciono i documentari sull'elefante marino?Do you like documentaries about the elephant seal?
Example conversation
Alessandro and Sofia are watching a nature documentary on TV.
- AlessandroGuarda quel grande elefante marino!Look at that large elephant seal!
- SofiaÈ davvero incredibile, Alessandro.It is truly incredible, Alessandro.
- AlessandroÈ molto più grande di un normale leone marino.It is much larger than a normal sea lion.
- SofiaSì, è enorme.Yes, it is huge.
