cervello
/t͡ʃerˈvɛl.lo/common, masculine
The English word 'brain' translates to Italian as cervello or encefalo.
Meaning: organ (noun)
Ways to say it
| Italian | IPA | Note |
|---|---|---|
| cervello | /t͡ʃerˈvɛl.lo/ | common, masculine |
| encefalo | /enˈt͡ʃɛ.fa.lo/ | masculine |
How does it change in a sentence?
Both terms are masculine nouns.
How do you pronounce it?
The word cervello is pronounced /tʃerˈvɛl.lo/. It has 3 syllables, with the stress on the 2nd syllable.
Did you know?
- In Italian cooking, cervella refers specifically to calf brains served as a dish. If you order this on a menu, you are ordering food rather than discussing anatomy.
- In Italian, calling someone a cervellone is a common way to describe a 'brainiac' or someone who is highly intellectual.
- If an Italian person refers to a 'brilliant idea' as a colpo di genio, they are not using the word for 'brain' at all, despite the concept being similar.
Examples in context
- Ha un buon cervello.He has a good brain.Tatoeba #2414990 by Guybrush88, translation #301985 by CM
- Odio il mio cervello.I hate my brain.Tatoeba #12922594 by Guybrush88, translation #9940062 by shekitten
- Il mio cervello è pieno.My brain is full.Tatoeba #2347075 by Guybrush88, translation #280148 by CM
- Lo studio del cervello umanoThe study of the human brain
- L'aumento della massa cerebrale è un segno di sviluppo cerebraleIncreased brain mass is a sign of brain development
- Ho un sacco di idee in testaI have a lot of ideas in my head
- La soluzione è nelle pieghe del tuo grigio organoThe solution is in the folds of your gray organ
- sviluppare il cervellodevelop the brain
- stimolare il cervellostimulate the brain
- un cervello brillantea brilliant brain
- 72 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Matteo and Martina are looking at a biology textbook.
- MatteoGuarda, questo è il disegno del cervello.Look, this is a drawing of the brain.
- MartinaÈ molto complesso, il cervello umano.The human brain is very complex.
- MatteoSì, il cervello controlla tutto il corpo.Yes, the brain controls the whole body.
- MartinaÈ davvero affascinante, Matteo.It is truly fascinating, Matteo.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “brain” translations and entries cervello, encefalo, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
