indiano
/inˈdja.no/
In Italian, the English word "indian" is translated as indiano.
Meaning: of India (adj)
Which one should you use?
When referring to the aboriginal people of the Americas, you may use indiano, indiana or the more specific indiano d'America to avoid confusion with people from the country of India.
Related words
How does it change in a sentence?
Use indiano for masculine singular, indiana for feminine singular, indiani for masculine plural and indiane for feminine plural. For example, the adjective changes its ending to indiana to agree with feminine nouns like cucina (cuisine).
How do you pronounce it?
The word has three syllables, with the stress on the second syllable: /inˈdja.no/.
What mistakes should you avoid?
English speakers often forget to change the gender of indiano to match the noun it describes, such as using indiano for cucina instead of indiana.
Did you know?
- In Italy, curry is so strongly associated with indiano food that the phrase pollo al curry is often treated as a shorthand for 'Indian style' cooking even if no other spices are mentioned.
- In older Italian literature, indiano was occasionally used as a poetic synonym for something exotic or distant, reflecting Europe's early perceptions of the East.
- Because Italian uses gender agreement, a group of both men and women from India is always referred to using the masculine plural indiani.
Examples in context
- È un piatto indiano.It's an Indian dish.This sentence uses indiano to describe a dish.Tatoeba #2136247 by Guybrush88, translation #2136250 by CM
- Il mio amico è indiano.My friend is Indian.This sentence uses indiano to describe a friend.Tatoeba #791253 by Pharamp, translation #791250 by CN
- Mi piace il cibo indiano.I like Indian food.This sentence uses indiano to describe food.Tatoeba #11093619 by Guybrush88, translation #6033427 by CK
- 21 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Chiara and Matteo are looking at a travel magazine.
- ChiaraHai visto questo libro indiano?Have you seen this Indian book?
- MatteoNo, è interessante?No, is it interesting?
- ChiaraSì, parla della storia indiana.Yes, it talks about Indian history.
- MatteoAllora lo compro subito.Then I will buy it immediately.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “indian” translations and entries indiano, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
