heavy metal
masculine
The English phrase 'heavy metal' is translated into Italian as heavy metal.
The term is used to refer to the specific genre of music. It is a masculine noun.
Meaning: genre of music (noun)
Did you know?
- While the genre is 'heavy metal', the term for a fan, metallaro, is much more common in casual conversation than using the full English phrase. You will rarely hear someone say they are a 'fan di heavy metal' when they could simply say they are a metallaro.
- Despite using the English term heavy metal, Italian musicians often describe the 'heaviness' of a sound using the native adjective pesante, which literally means 'heavy' like a stone.
- The word metallaro carries a specific social connotation in Italy. It does not just describe a music preference, but identifies someone as part of a distinct subculture with its own specific fashion and social codes.
Examples in context
- Tom è un chitarrista heavy metal.Tom is a heavy metal guitarist.This sentence is useful for identifying someone as a heavy metal chitarrista.Tatoeba #14046363 by Guybrush88, translation #6265190 by CK
- I Danzig sono una band heavy metal.Danzig is a heavy metal band.This sentence describes a musical group as a heavy metal band.Tatoeba #2461346 by Guybrush88, translation #2461344 by CN
- Chi è il tuo chitarrista heavy metal preferito?Who's your favorite heavy metal guitarist?This sentence is used when asking about a favorite heavy metal chitarrista.Tatoeba #1204368 by Guybrush88, translation #908712 by CK
- Ci vediamo al concerto di metal stasera?Shall we meet at the metal concert tonight?
- 8 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Martina and Alessandro are talking about their music tastes.
- MartinaChe genere di musica ascolti, Alessandro?What genre of music do you listen to, Alessandro?
- AlessandroMi piace molto l'heavy metal.I really like heavy metal.
- MartinaDavvero? L'heavy metal è troppo rumoroso per me.Really? Heavy metal is too noisy for me.
- AlessandroCapisco, preferisci qualcosa di più calmo.I understand, you prefer something calmer.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “heavy metal” translations and entries heavy metal, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
