calcio
/ˈkal.t͡ʃo/
The Italian word for kick is calcio.
calcio can mean a physical strike with the foot or leg. This same word is also the Italian term used to refer to the sport of soccer. If you are looking for the English concept of 'kick-start' (to initiate something), you would use the phrases avviare or far partire instead.
Meaning: strike with or raise the foot or leg (verb)
Which one should you use?
While calcio is a general term for a kick, you may also encounter pedata or colpo di piede when referring specifically to the act of hitting or striking something with the foot or leg as a noun.
Related words
How do you pronounce it?
The word has two syllables, with the stress on the first syllable: /ˈkal.tʃo/.
Did you know?
- In Italian, calcio is used to describe the recoil of a gun when it is fired. This usage treats the backward jump of the weapon as a 'kick' against the shoulder.
- In a sports commentary, you might hear a commentator say un calcio di punizione, which literally means 'a kick of punishment' to describe a free kick.
- The word calcio is a homonym with the Italian word for 'calcium'.
Examples in context
- Tom mi diede un calcio.Tom gave me a kick.This sentence shows how to describe receiving a calcio.Tatoeba #13354658 by Guybrush88, translation #13344079 by rul
- Il cavallo mi diede un calcio.The horse gave me a kick.This sentence demonstrates using calcio to describe an animal kicking.Tatoeba #13851404 by Guybrush88, translation #12176175 by always
- Cercò di aprire la porta con un calcio.He tried to kick open the door.This sentence illustrates using calcio to describe the act of kicking an object to open it.Tatoeba #11726575 by Nuel, translation #11726574 by Nuel
- Mi ha dato un calcioHe/She kicked me
- calciare la pallaKick the ball
- Ho ricevuto un calcio dal portiere.I received a kick from the goalkeeper.
- 8 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Martina and Alessandro are playing soccer in the park.
- MartinaAlessandro, dammi un calcio alla palla!Alessandro, give the ball a kick!
- AlessandroOk, ma non voglio dare un calcio troppo forte.Ok, but I don't want to kick it too hard.
- MartinaNon importa, tira un calcio verso la porta.It doesn't matter, kick it toward the goal.
- AlessandroEcco fatto, ho dato un calcio perfetto!There it is, I gave it a perfect kick!
Sources
- Pronunciation: Wiktionary entry calcio, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
