Ways to say it
| Italian | IPA | Note |
|---|---|---|
| immondizia | /im.monˈdit.t͡sja/ | feminine |
| rifiuti | plural |
The terms used for garbage in Italian typically refer to waste material. You may encounter the phrase rifiuti riciclabili to mean recyclable waste, or spazzatura differenziata for sorted garbage. When dealing with large items like old furniture that do not fit in regular bins, the standard term is rifiuti ingombranti.
Which one should you use?
immondizia is the default feminine singular form, while rifiuti is the plural form.
Is it said differently in some regions?
monnezza is a local term for garbage used in certain parts of Central Italy, including Rome.
How does it change in a sentence?
immondizia is a feminine noun. rifiuti is a plural noun.
How do you pronounce it?
The word is pronounced /im.monˈdit.tsja/. It has 4 syllables, with the stress on the 3rd syllable.
When do people say it?
If you encounter something extremely dirty or unpleasant, you might hear the exclamation Che schifezza!, which means "What filth!"
Did you know?
- The word monnezza is used throughout Rome not just for actual garbage, but as a derogatory term to describe a person of low moral character.
- While rifiuti is the standard term for waste, the verb rifiutare means 'to refuse' or 'to reject', reflecting the idea that garbage is something the owner has rejected.
- The word immondizia is built from the adjective immondo, which does not just mean 'dirty' but carries a stronger connotation of being 'morally impure' or 'unclean'.
Examples in context
- Dove posso smaltire i rifiuti ingombranti?Where can I get rid of bulky garbage?This sentence shows how to ask about disposing of rifiuti.Tatoeba #6605083 by Guybrush88, translation #12725309 by Nero
- Più una città è vecchia, più rifiuti produce.The older a town is, the more garbage it produces.This sentence describes how an older city produces more rifiuti.Tatoeba #3111042 by Guybrush88, translation #837827 by szaby78
- Smaltire i rifiuti è diventato un grosso problema per le autorità.Getting rid of garbage has become a major headache for the authorities.This sentence discusses the difficulty authorities face in disposing of rifiuti.Tatoeba #13163511 by Guybrush88, translation #56404 by CK
- Ho visto una montagna di spazzatura in strada!I saw a mountain of garbage on the street!
- 1 more sentence on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Francesco and Martina are cleaning their apartment together.
- FrancescoMartina, puoi portare fuori l'immondizia?Martina, can you take out the garbage?
- MartinaSì, ma il sacco è quasi pieno.Yes, but the bag is almost full.
- FrancescoNon importa, buttala via adesso.It doesn't matter, throw it away now.
- MartinaVa bene, vado subito al cassonetto.All right, I'm going to the bin right away.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “garbage” translations and entries immondizia, rifiuti, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries immondizia, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
