suonare il clacson
To honk in Italian is suonare il clacson. Wiktionary also lists clacsonare.
Meaning: to use a car horn (verb)
Ways to say it
| Italian |
|---|
| suonare il clacson |
| clacsonare |
This phrase is used to describe the act of using a car horn.
What does it mean word for word?
The phrase suonare il clacson literally means 'to sound the horn'.
Which one should you use?
Suonare il clacson is the standard way to express this action, whereas clacsonare is a slangy alternative.
Is there a formal and an informal way to say it?
Suonare il clacson is the standard form used in most situations, while clacsonare is a colloquial or slang term.
Did you know?
- The word clacson is actually a loanword from the English 'klaxon', which was originally a brand name for a specific type of loud electric horn.
- Unlike in English, where 'honk' is an onomatopoeia mimicking the sound, the Italian suonare is a functional description meaning 'to make a sound'.
- In many Italian contexts, suonare can also mean 'to ring' a doorbell or 'to ring' a telephone.
Examples in context
- Non suonare il clacson.Don't honk the horn.This sentence is useful for learning how to give a command not to honk using suonare il clacson.Tatoeba #8645234 by Guybrush88, translation #8634402 by Eccles17
- Tom continuava a suonare il clacson.Tom continued to honk the horn.This sentence is useful for describing a continuous action using suonare il clacson.Tatoeba #2174939 by Guybrush88, translation #1868411 by CK
- Mi scusi, posso suonare il clacson?Excuse me, may I honk the horn?
- Hai visto? Mi hanno appena bipato!Did you see? Someone just honked at me!
- Ma che fai? Suoni il clacson anche nella doccia?What are you doing? Do you even honk the horn in the shower?
- Perché devi suonare il clacson?Why do you have to honk?
Example conversation
Sofia and Matteo are in a car in heavy traffic.
- SofiaNon c'è bisogno di suonare il clacson.There is no need to honk.
- MatteoMa quel camion non si muove!But that truck isn't moving!
- SofiaMatteo, calmati, non serve a niente.Matteo, calm down, it doesn't help anything.
- MatteoLo so, ma sono nervoso.I know, but I am nervous.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “honk” translations and entries clacsonare, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries clacson, clacsonare, il, suonare, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
