zingaro
/ˈd͡zin.ɡa.ro/
The English word "gipsy" is translated into Italian as zingaro.
zingaro refers to a member of a traveling people with a distinct culture and traditional way of life.
How does it change in a sentence?
The feminine singular is zingara, the masculine plural for a group of men or a mixed-gender group is zingari and the feminine plural for a group of women is zingare.
How do you pronounce it?
The word has 3 syllables, with the stress on the first syllable. The IPA is /ˈdzin.ɡa.ro/.
Did you know?
- The term is linked to the Greek word Athínganoi, which carries the specific meaning of 'untouchable'.
- To be more polite, Italians often use the term nomade, which literally means 'nomadic', as a euphemism.
- In the Sicilian dialect, the standard Italian term zingaro is replaced by the word zannu.
Examples in context
- Gli zingari sono detti anche gitanos in Spagna.Gipsies are also called 'gitanos' in Spain.
- Mi piacerebbe fare la vita di un vagabondo come gli zingari.I would love to live the life of a vagabond like the gipsies.
- Quel libro parla della vita di uno zingaro.That book tells the story of a gypsy's life.
Example conversation
Martina and Matteo are talking about a documentary they watched.
- MartinaHai visto il film sullo zingaro?Did you see the movie about the gipsy?
- MatteoSì, era molto interessante.Yes, it was very interesting.
- MartinaMi ha colpito molto la loro musica.Their music really struck me.
- MatteoAnche a me, Matteo concorda.Me too, Matteo agrees.
Sources
- Pronunciation: Wiktionary entry zingaro, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries zingaro, CC BY-SA 4.0.
