pesce rosso
/ˈpeʃ.ʃe ˈros.so/word by wordmasculine
The English word goldfish is translated into Italian as pesce rosso.
Meaning: fish (noun)
What does it mean word for word?
The phrase literally translates to 'red fish' because goldfish are typically orange or red in color.
How does it change in a sentence?
To form the plural, you change the noun to pesci and the adjective to rossi, resulting in pesci rossi.
How do you pronounce it?
The pronunciation is /ˈpeʃ.ʃe ˈros.so/. It has 4 syllables, with the stress on the 1st syllable.
What mistakes should you avoid?
English speakers often mistakenly translate 'goldfish' literally as pesce d'oro. However, pesce rosso is the correct term for the animal.
Did you know?
- While pesce rosso is the animal, the phrase pesce d'oro is often used in Italian as a metaphor for something precious or rare.
- The word pesce comes from the Latin piscem, which is the root of English words like 'pisciculture' and 'piscivore'.
- The word rosso shares an ancient root with the English word 'russet', which describes a reddish-brown color.
Examples in context
- Mi piacerebbe avere un pesce rosso come animale domestico.I would like to have a goldfish as a pet.
- Il pesce rosso nuota nell'acquario.The goldfish swims in the aquarium.
- Ho comprato un piccolo pesce rosso.I bought a little goldfish.
- Il tuo pesce rosso è molto colorato.Your goldfish is very colorful.
Example conversation
Sofia and Alessandro are at a pet store.
- SofiaGuarda, che bello questo pesce rosso!Look, this goldfish is so beautiful!
- AlessandroSì, ha un colore molto brillante.Yes, it has a very bright color.
- SofiaPensi che un pesce rosso sia facile da curare?Do you think a goldfish is easy to take care of?
- AlessandroSì, Sofia, sono animali molto semplici.Yes, Sofia, they are very simple animals.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “goldfish” translations and entries pesce rosso, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- IPA marked “word by word” joins the Wiktionary pronunciations of each word (pesce, rosso) and can differ in connected speech.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries pesce, rosso, CC BY-SA 4.0.
