escursionista
feminine, masculine
The Italian word for hiker is escursionista. Wiktionary also lists gitante.
Meaning: one who hikes, especially frequently (noun)
Ways to say it
| Italian | Note |
|---|---|
| escursionista | feminine, masculine |
| gitante | feminine, masculine |
The term refers to one who hikes, especially frequently.
Which one should you use?
escursionista is the standard, most common term for a hiker. In contrast, gitante is a much rarer, more literary or archaic term.
How does it change in a sentence?
The masculine plural form of escursionista is escursionisti, while the feminine plural form is escursioniste.
Did you know?
- In Italian, the act of hiking is often described as fare trekking. While escursionista is the noun for the person, the English word 'trekking' has been adopted as the standard verb for the activity.
- In Italy, an escursionista is often associated with the 'rifugio' culture, where hikers stay in mountain huts that provide traditional food and communal sleeping quarters.
- While escursionista describes a hiker, the word escursione is also used to describe a school trip or a short outing, regardless of whether any hiking is involved.
Examples in context
- Il gruppo di escursionisti si prepara per una nuova avventura in montagna.The group of hikers is getting ready for a new mountain adventure.
- L'escursionista porta uno zaino.The hiker carries a backpack.
- L'escursionista è molto preparato.The hiker is very well prepared.
- È un'escursionista esperta di montagna.She is an experienced mountain hiker.
- Abbiamo incontrato un escursionista stanco sul sentiero.We met a tired hiker on the trail.
Example conversation
Two friends are discussing their weekend hobby in a cafe.
- ChiaraAlessandro, sei un escursionista appassionato?Alessandro, are you a passionate hiker?
- AlessandroSì, adoro camminare in mezzo alla natura.Yes, I love walking in the middle of nature.
- ChiaraAnche io sono un'escursionista molto attiva.I am also a very active hiker.
- AlessandroAllora potremmo andare insieme la prossima settimana.Then we could go together next week.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “hiker” translations and entries escursionista, gitante, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
