citofono
/t͡ʃiˈtɔ.fo.no/masculine
The Italian word for intercom is citofono.
citofono refers to an electronic communication system. When a visitor wants to be let into a building, the standard expression is suonare il citofono (to ring the intercom).
Meaning: an electronic communication system (noun)
What does it mean word for word?
The word citofono is a compound of cito (from citare, meaning to call or summon) and fono (meaning sound or voice).
Which one should you use?
While the English word intercom can refer to any internal communication system, citofono specifically refers to the device used at a building entrance to call a resident.
How does it change in a sentence?
The plural form of citofono is citofoni.
How do you pronounce it?
The pronunciation is /tʃiˈtɔ.fo.no/. It has 4 syllables, with the stress on the 2nd syllable.
Did you know?
- The word citofono is derived from the Latin citus, meaning 'quick' or 'rapid', combined with the Greek-derived fono for 'sound'.
- In many Italian apartment buildings, if you hear 'il citofono suona', it does not mean the device is making a sound, but that a stranger is at the door.
- In many Italian apartment complexes, the citofono serves as a social filter, as residents may use it to screen visitors or delivery drivers before deciding whether to open the heavy main door.
Examples in context
- Tom ha premuto il pulsante del citofono.Tom pressed the intercom button.This sentence shows the use of the verb to press the button of the citofono.Tatoeba #4841828 by Guybrush88, translation #3171221 by CK
- Tutte le camere sono completamente rinnovate e dispongono di telefono-citofono.All the rooms are completely renovated and have a telephone/intercom.This sentence mentions rooms that are equipped with a telephone-citofono.
- Vorrei parlare con il responsabile dell'impianto di citofonia, per favore.I would like to speak with the person in charge of the intercom system, please.
- Devo chiamare il mio amico al citofono.I have to call my friend on the intercom.
- Hai sentito? Qualcuno ha suonato il citofono.Did you hear that? Someone rang the intercom.
Example conversation
Matteo and Giulia are at home when someone arrives at the door.
- MatteoGiulia, rispondi al citofono, per favore.Giulia, answer the intercom, please.
- GiuliaAspetta un attimo, Matteo.Wait a moment, Matteo.
- MatteoC'è qualcuno che vuole parlare con noi.There is someone who wants to speak with us.
- GiuliaVa bene, vado subito a controllare.Alright, I'll go check right away.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “intercom” translations and entries citofono, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries citofono, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR, Wiktionary CC BY-SA 4.0.
