allegro
/alˈle.ɡro/
The English phrase jolly translates to Italian as allegro.
allegro is used to describe a person's mood as cheerful or a piece of music as lively.
How does it change in a sentence?
The word changes based on the gender and number of the person or noun you are describing. Use allegra when describing a female person or a feminine noun. For a group of males or a mixed group, use the masculine plural form allegri. If you are describing a group consisting only of females, use the feminine plural form allegre.
How do you pronounce it?
allegro is pronounced /alˈle.ɡro/. It has 3 syllables, and the stress is on the 2nd syllable.
Did you know?
- The Latin root alacer did not just mean 'happy', it specifically implied a sense of speed and quickness. This is why the word evolved into a term for both a bright mood and a fast musical tempo.
- In Italian, if you call a piece of music allegro, you are not just saying it is 'jolly' or 'happy', you are specifying a very particular tempo. It is a technical instruction for musicians to play with a fast and bright character.
- While allegro describes a cheerful mood, it is not the most common way to say someone is 'happy' in a general sense. For general happiness, Italians almost always prefer the word felice.
Examples in context
- Il bambino è molto allegro oggi.The child is very jolly today.
- È un uomo allegro e simpatico.He is a jolly and likable man.
- Sempre allegro, non si lamenta mai.Always jolly, he never complains.
Example conversation
Lorenzo and Giulia are meeting for coffee.
- LorenzoCiao Giulia! Sembri molto allegro oggi.Hi Giulia! You seem very jolly today.
- GiuliaGrazie, Lorenzo! Sono davvero felice.Thanks, Lorenzo! I am truly happy.
- LorenzoÈ bello vederti così allegra.It's nice to see you so jolly.
- GiuliaAnche io sono contenta di vederti.I am also glad to see you.
Sources
- Pronunciation: Wiktionary entry allegro, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries allegro, CC BY-SA 4.0.
