sono nato
/ˈso.no ˈna.to/word by word
The Italian phrase for "I was born" is sono nato.
sono nato is used to state the time or place of one's birth.
How does it change in a sentence?
The phrase must agree with the gender of the speaker: use sono nata if the speaker is female. Additionally, the phrase changes based on the subject. While sono nato means "I was born", è nato means "he was born".
How do you pronounce it?
/ˈso.no ˈna.to/. The phrase has 4 syllables, and the stress is on the 1st syllable.
Did you know?
- The word nato is a past participle that functions like an adjective, meaning the phrase literally translates to 'I am born' rather than 'I was born'.
- Because nato comes from the root meaning 'to beget', the word is etymologically linked to the English word 'native'.
- When talking about birth, Italian uses the auxiliary verb essere ('to be') instead of avere ('to have'). This is because birth is viewed as a change of state.
Examples in context
- È dove sono nato.That's where I was born.This sentence is useful for identifying a birthplace.Tatoeba #3537112 by Guybrush88, translation #1887015 by Spamster
- Sono nato a Osaka.I was born in Osaka.This sentence is useful for stating where you were born.Tatoeba #374454 by Pharamp, translation #259335 by CN
- Sono nato a Kyoto.I was born in Kyoto.Tatoeba #653820 by Guybrush88, translation #256896 by CN
- Sono nato a Roma.I was born in Rome.
- Sono nata a Firenze.I was born in Florence.
- Sono nato qui.I was born here.
- Sono nata in questo posto.I was born in this place.
- Sono venuto al mondo qui.I came into the world here.
- 140 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Lorenzo and Martina are talking about their hometowns in a cafe.
- LorenzoIo sono nato a Roma, e tu?I was born in Rome, and you?
- MartinaIo invece sono nata a Milano.I, on the other hand, was born in Milan.
- LorenzoChe bella città!What a beautiful city!
- MartinaGrazie, Lorenzo.Thank you, Lorenzo.
Sources
- IPA marked “word by word” joins the Wiktionary pronunciations of each word (sono, nato) and can differ in connected speech.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries nato, sono, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
