al chiuso
/al ˈkju.zo/word by word
The English phrase "indoors" can be translated into Italian as al chiuso. Wiktionary also lists dentro and all'interno.
Meaning: in or into a building (adv)
Ways to say it
| Italian | IPA |
|---|---|
| al chiuso | /al ˈkju.zo/ (word by word) |
| dentro | /ˈden.tro/ |
| all'interno |
The standard way to describe being indoors or performing activities and jobs that take place in an enclosed environment rather than outdoors is al chiuso.
What does it mean word for word?
The phrase al chiuso literally means "at the closed" or "in a closed state".
Which one should you use?
While al chiuso describes the general condition of being indoors, dentro is typically used to indicate being inside a specific physical container or building, such as "dentro la casa" (inside the house). All'interno serves as a more formal or precise way to say "inside" or "within" a specific space compared to the more common dentro.
How do you pronounce it?
The pronunciation of al chiuso is /al ˈkju.zo/. It has 3 syllables, with the stress on the 2nd syllable.
Did you know?
- The Italian word chiuso is a cognate of the English word 'enclose' and 'clause'.
- While al chiuso describes being indoors, the opposite phrase all'aperto literally means 'to the open', which can refer to both the outdoors and the open sea.
- The word chiuso is used for everything from a closed door to a business that has gone bankrupt or a shop that is not open for the day.
Examples in context
- Tom lavora al chiuso.Tom works indoors.This sentence shows how to say Tom works indoors using al chiuso.Tatoeba #5220399 by Guybrush88, translation #2240239 by CK
- Preferisco stare al chiuso.I prefer to stay indoors.This sentence shows how to say I prefer to stay indoors using al chiuso.Tatoeba #4985537 by Guybrush88, translation #4980066 by CK
- Le dissi di stare al chiuso.I told her to stay indoors.This sentence shows how to say I told her to stay indoors using al chiuso.Tatoeba #6291998 by Guybrush88, translation #3905464 by CH
- I bambini dovrebbero giocare dentro quando il tempo è brutto.Children should play indoors when the weather is bad.
- L'arte moderna è spesso esposta nell'interno dei musei.Modern art is often exhibited indoors in museums.
- Preferisco guardare un film a casa.I prefer watching a movie indoors/at home.
- Durante la quarantena, siamo stati chiusi in casa.During the quarantine, we were indoors/closed in the house.
- 16 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Giulia and Lorenzo are deciding where to go during a storm.
- GiuliaLorenzo, sta iniziando a piovere forte.Lorenzo, it is starting to rain hard.
- LorenzoHai ragione, andiamo al chiuso.You're right, let's go indoors.
- GiuliaPossiamo entrare in quel caffè.We can go into that cafe.
- LorenzoOttima idea, Giulia.Great idea, Giulia.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “indoors” translations and entries dentro, all'interno, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- IPA marked “word by word” joins the Wiktionary pronunciations of each word (al, chiuso) and can differ in connected speech.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries chiuso, dentro, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
