grandine
/ˈɡran.di.ne/feminine
In Italian, the English phrase 'hail' (referring to balls of ice) is grandine.
grandine is the noun used to describe the weather phenomenon of ice falling from the sky. If you want to use a verb to describe the act of hail falling from the sky, use grandinare. Note that if you mean 'hail' in the sense of calling out to someone or hailing a taxi, you should use the verb chiamare instead.
Meaning: balls of ice (noun)
Which one should you use?
grandine is the noun for the ice itself, while grandinare is the specific verb for the phenomenon of hail falling. Do not confuse these with chiamare, which is used when 'hailing' refers to attracting attention or calling someone.
Related words
How does it change in a sentence?
grandine is a feminine singular noun.
How do you pronounce it?
The word has three syllables and the stress is on the first syllable: /ˈɡran.di.ne/.
Did you know?
- In Italy, there is a traditional folk belief that you can stop grandine by making a loud noise or ringing church bells to scatter the clouds.
- The word grandine shares an ancient root with the English word 'grain', as both stems relate to something small, hard, or granular.
- The term grandine is often used in Italian sports commentary to describe a rapid succession of shots or goals, mimicking a hail of ice.
Examples in context
- Ha visto la grandine?Have you seen the hail?This example asks if someone has seen the grandine.Tatoeba #13352775 by Guybrush88, translation #12426311 by Miktsoanit
- Come si forma la grandine?How does hail form?This example asks how grandine is formed.Tatoeba #5893237 by Guybrush88, translation #5757635 by CM
- La grandine danneggiò i raccolti.The hail harmed the crops.This example describes how the grandine harmed crops.Tatoeba #14040302 by Guybrush88, translation #34633 by CK
- Buongiorno! Come stai?Good morning! How are you?
- Salve, sono il dottor Rossini.Hello, I am Dr. Rossini.
- Ciao a tutti!Hi, everyone!
- Ciao! Che avete combinato oggi?Hi! What are you all up to today?
- 3 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Lorenzo and Chiara are looking out the window during a storm.
- LorenzoGuarda quanta grandine sta cadendo!Look at how much hail is falling!
- ChiaraSì, la grandine è davvero forte oggi.Yes, the hail is really heavy today.
- LorenzoSpero che non rompa i vetri.I hope it doesn't break the windows.
- ChiaraSperiamo, Lorenzo. È molto pericoloso.Let's hope so, Lorenzo. It is very dangerous.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “hail” translations and entries grandine, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries grandine, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
