Ways to say it
| Italian | Note |
|---|---|
| infarto del miocardio | |
| sciopon | dialectal, masculine |
The term refers to an acute myocardial infarction. In formal medical contexts, professionals use infarto del miocardio or attacco cardiaco.
Which one should you use?
While infarto del miocardio is the full medical term, Italians in everyday conversation often use the shortened form infarto. For a more colloquial way to express the same idea, you can use attacco di cuore.
Is there a formal and an informal way to say it?
Infarto del miocardio and attacco cardiaco are formal terms. Infarto is common for daily use, while attacco di cuore is a more colloquial expression.
Is it said differently in some regions?
Sciopon is a masculine, dialectal term for heart attack used in specific regional Italian dialects.
How does it change in a sentence?
The noun infarto is masculine, which means it is preceded by the masculine indefinite article un in the phrase un infarto.
Did you know?
- The word infarto comes from the Latin īnfartus, meaning 'stuffed' or 'filled'. This describes the physiological blockage that occurs during a myocardial infarction.
- In Italian, the root cardio in miocardio is shared with a vast array of terms for heart-related health, creating a clear linguistic divide between the 'clinical heart' and the 'emotional heart' cuore.
- The term miocardio is a direct linguistic relative of the English 'myocardium', both stemming from the Greek 'myo' for muscle and 'kardia' for heart.
Examples in context
- Chiamate un'ambulanza, potrebbe essere un infarto del miocardio!Call an ambulance, it might be a heart attack!
- L'infarto del miocardio è una condizione molto seria.A myocardial infarction is a very serious condition.
- Il medico ha confermato l'infarto del miocardio.The doctor confirmed the myocardial infarction.
- È stato portato in ospedale per un infarto del miocardio.He was taken to the hospital for a myocardial infarction.
Example conversation
Chiara is talking to Alessandro about a relative's health at the hospital.
- ChiaraCome sta tuo nonno, Alessandro?How is your grandfather, Alessandro?
- AlessandroPurtroppo ha avuto un infarto del miocardio.Unfortunately, he had a myocardial infarction.
- ChiaraMi dispiace molto, è stabile ora?I am very sorry, is he stable now?
- AlessandroSì, i medici dicono che è fuori pericolo.Yes, the doctors say he is out of danger.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “heart attack” translations, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries del, infarto, miocardio, CC BY-SA 4.0.
