storia
/ˈstɔ.rja/feminine
The Italian word for history is storia.
storia is the standard and most common translation for the English word history, referring to the branch of knowledge that studies the past. In Italian, storia is also used to mean a narrative or a story. If you want to refer to the history of a specific topic or person, you can use the construction storia di… (history of…).
Meaning: branch of knowledge that studies the past (noun)
Which one should you use?
While the English language distinguishes between the academic discipline (history) and a narrative (story), the Italian word storia covers both meanings.
How does it change in a sentence?
storia is a feminine noun. Its plural form is storie.
How do you pronounce it?
The word has two syllables, with the stress on the first syllable: /ˈstɔ.rja/.
Did you know?
- The phrase fare storie literally means 'to make stories' but is used idiomatically to mean making a fuss or creating unnecessary complications.
- The Greek root of storia actually means 'learning through research' rather than just a record of the past.
- An Italian person might use the word storia to refer to a complicated or dramatic situation in their personal life, such as 'una storia complicata'.
Examples in context
- Il resto è storia.The rest is history.Tatoeba #3399460 by Guybrush88, translation #3399458 by adamtrousers
- Mi piace la storia.I like history.Tatoeba #410242 by Pharamp, translation #262257 by CK
- La storia si ripete.History repeats itself.Tatoeba #707236 by Guybrush88, translation #326126 by CK
- Uno dei miei interessi principali è la storia.One of my main interests is history.
- Ho letto molte storie di antiche civiltà.I've read many histories of ancient civilizations.
- Sai qualcosa sulla storia di Leonardo da Vinci?Do you know anything about the history of Leonardo da Vinci?
- Mi piacciono i libri storici.I like history books.
- La storica città di Roma.The historic city of Rome.
- Questo è un momento importante nella storia del nostro paese.This is an important moment in the history of our country.
- 281 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Giulia and Matteo are discussing their university courses.
- GiuliaTi piace la storia?Do you like history?
- MatteoSì, è la mia materia preferita.Yes, it is my favorite subject.
- GiuliaIo preferisco la storia moderna.I prefer modern history.
- MatteoAnche io, è molto interessante.Me too, it is very interesting.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “history” translations and entries storia, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries storia, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
