ospedale
/os.peˈda.le/masculine
The English word 'hospital' is translated into Italian as ospedale.
ospedale is a masculine noun used to refer to a large medical facility.
Meaning: large medical facility (noun)
How does it change in a sentence?
There is a grammatical distinction based on what you want to say. When expressing that someone is a patient or admitted to the hospital, use the prepositional phrase in ospedale (without an article). To refer to a specific hospital building or a location within a hospital, use the articulated preposition nell'ospedale (in + l').
How do you pronounce it?
ospedale is pronounced /os.peˈda.le/. It has 4 syllables, with the stress on the 3rd syllable.
Did you know?
- The Italian word ospedale is a linguistic cousin to the English word 'hotel'. Both descend from the Latin word hospitālis, which described a place for guests.
- Because of its roots in hospitality, an ospedale was historically a place where pilgrims were sheltered and fed, not just a place for medical treatment.
- Historically, some Italian cities had an ospedale maggiore and an ospedale minore, reflecting a social hierarchy in healthcare that lasted for centuries.
Examples in context
- Non è un ospedale.It isn't a hospital.This sentence shows how to negate the existence of a hospital using ospedale.Tatoeba #756503 by Guybrush88, translation #756502 by CM
- Lui è in ospedale.He is in hospital.This sentence demonstrates the use of in ospedale to indicate someone is admitted as a patient.Tatoeba #1496938 by Guybrush88, translation #378501 by Ricardo14
- Tom è in ospedale.Tom is in the hospital.This sentence demonstrates how to use in ospedale to specify a person is in the hospital.Tatoeba #4723962 by Guybrush88, translation #1868200 by CK
- Mi dispiace, ma devo portare mio padre all'ospedale oggi.I'm sorry, but I have to take my father to the hospital today.
- 595 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Martina and Matteo are talking about a friend's location.
- MartinaDov'è Luca oggi?Where is Luca today?
- MatteoLui è a lavorare in ospedale.He is working at the hospital.
- MartinaQuale ospedale frequenta?Which hospital does he go to?
- MatteoLavora nell'ospedale in centro.He works in the downtown hospital.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “hospital” translations and entries ospedale, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries ospedale, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
