gondola
/ˈɡon.do.la/feminine
The English phrase "gondola" translates to gondola in Italian.
The word refers to a narrow boat, especially in Venice.
Meaning: narrow boat, especially in Venice (noun)
How does it change in a sentence?
The word is a feminine noun.
How do you pronounce it?
The word consists of 3 syllables, with the stress on the first syllable. The IPA is /ˈɡon.do.la/.
Did you know?
- The Italian word gondola is also used to describe the shelving units in a supermarket or the cable car cabins on a mountain.
- The asymmetric shape of a gondola is intentional. Because the boat is curved to one side, it allows the gondolier to row from only one side without the boat spinning in circles.
- By law, all gondola boats in Venice must be painted black. This rule was established in the 16th century to discourage owners from decorating them with ostentatious colors to show off their wealth.
Examples in context
- Tom e Mary fecero un giro in gondola a Venezia.Tom and Mary went on a gondola ride in Venice.This sentence is useful for describing a gondola ride in Venice.Tatoeba #10533732 by Guybrush88, translation #10521531 by Hybrid
- La gondola scivola silenziosa sull'acqua.The gondola glides silently on the water.
- Ho visto una bellissima gondola nera.I saw a beautiful black gondola.
- 2 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Alessandro and Sofia are walking along a canal in Venice.
- AlessandroGuarda, Sofia, che bella gondola!Look, Sofia, what a beautiful gondola!
- SofiaHai ragione, Alessandro. Saliamo a bordo?You're right, Alessandro. Shall we get on board?
- AlessandroSì, voglio vedere la città dalla gondola.Yes, I want to see the city from the gondola.
- SofiaAndiamo a chiedere il prezzo al gondoliere.Let's go ask the gondolier for the price.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “gondola” translations and entries gondola, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
