이탈리아
Itallia[itʰa̠ʎʎia̠]
Italy is 이탈리아 (Itallia) in Korean. Wiktionary also lists 이태리 (Itaeri) and 이딸리아 (Ittallia).
Meaning: country in southern Europe (name)
Ways to say it
| Korean | Romanization (Wiktionary) | IPA | Note |
|---|---|---|---|
| 이탈리아 | Itallia | [itʰa̠ʎʎia̠] (SK Standard, Seoul, narrow) | |
| 이태리 | Itaeri | [itʰɛɾi] (SK Standard, Seoul, narrow) [itʰe̞ɾi] (SK Standard, Seoul, narrow) |
|
| 이딸리아 | Ittallia | [it͈a̠ʎʎia̠] (SK Standard, Seoul, narrow) | North Korea |
이탈리아 is the name used for the country in southern Europe.
Which one should you use?
이탈리아 is the standard and most common way to say Italy in South Korea. 이태리 is a common, slightly more colloquial or older-fashioned variation of the name. 이딸리아 is the spelling used in North Korea.
How do you pronounce it?
Itallia
Did you know?
- The term 이태리 타월 refers to a coarse scrubbing cloth used in Korean baths, though these towels are actually manufactured in Korea and not imported from 이탈리아.
- The word 이태리 is a Sino-Korean term that entered the language via Japanese orthographic borrowing of the characters 伊太利.
- While 이탈리아 is the standard name, the variation 이태리 is still frequently used in the names of specific products, such as 'Italian towels' called 이태리 타월.
Examples in context
- 스위스는 프랑스와 이탈리아, 오스트리아, 독일 사이에 있다.Switzerland is situated between France, Italy, Austria and Germany.This sentence is useful for seeing the position of 이탈리아 in a list of countries.Tatoeba #10706767 by ssuss32, translation #52443 by CM
- 이탈리아는 아주 아름다운 나라입니다.Italy is a very beautiful country.This sentence is useful for describing 이탈리아 as a beautiful country.Tatoeba #5402 by cueyayotl, translation #1658 by CK
- 1 more sentence on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Ji-hun and Min-ji are talking about their favorite foods.
- 지훈 Ji-hun민지 씨는 파스타를 좋아해요?Min-ji ssineun paseutareul joahaeyo?Min-ji, do you like pasta?
- 민지 Min-ji네, 이탈리아 음식을 정말 좋아해요.ne, itallia eumsigeul jeongmal joahaeyo.Yes, I really love Italian food.
- 지훈 Ji-hun저도요. 언젠가 이탈리아에 가보고 싶어요.jeodoyo. eonjengga itallia-e gabogo sipeoyo.Me too. I want to visit Italy someday.
- 민지 Min-ji그거 좋은 생각이에요!geugeo joeun saenggageyeyo!That is a great idea!
Sources
- Wiktionary, “italy” translations and entries 이탈리아, 이태리, 이딸리아, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries 이탈리아, 이태리, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
