Ways to say it
| Italian | IPA | Note |
|---|---|---|
| poltrone | /polˈtro.ne/ | masculine |
| pigrone | /piˈɡro.ne/ | masculine |
| scansafatiche | /skan.sa.faˈti.ke/ | feminine, masculine |
All the terms in this entry refer to a person who is lazy.
What does it mean word for word?
The word scansafatiche is a compound of scansa (avoids or dodges) and fatiche (hard work or toils), literally meaning one who avoids work.
Which one should you use?
The forms poltrone and pigrone change based on gender or number, whereas scansafatiche can be used for any gender.
Is there a formal and an informal way to say it?
The term pigrone is often used in an informal, slightly teasing or affectionate way, especially when speaking to children. Similarly, fannullone is an informal Italian word for lazybones.
How does it change in a sentence?
The noun scansafatiche is invariable, meaning it does not change its form for masculine, feminine, singular or plural.
How do you pronounce it?
The word poltrone is pronounced /polˈtro.ne/. It has three syllables, and the stress is on the second syllable.
Did you know?
- The word poltrone is a double entendre in Italian, as it means both a 'lazy person' and an 'armchair'.
- While poltrone refers to a lazy person, it carries a historical sting by implying the person is also a coward. The logic was that someone too 'soft' or cushioned by pillows lacks the backbone for bravery.
- The word poltrone is a distant relative of the English word 'bolster'. Both originate from a Proto-West Germanic word for 'cushion' or 'pillow'.
Examples in context
- Vai a scuola, pigrone!Go to school, lazybones!This sentence uses pigrone to command someone to go to school.Tatoeba #13156146 by Guybrush88, translation #10351766 by AlanF_US
- Pigrone.Lazybones.This sentence uses pigrone as a standalone address.Tatoeba #4557105 by Guybrush88, translation #2429669 by espjulie
- È proprio un fannullone, passa le giornate a guardare la TV senza fare nulla.He is such a lazybones, spends his days watching TV without doing anything.
- La mia amica è proprio una poltrona, non si alza mai dal divano.My friend is a real lazybones, she never gets up from the couch.
- Che fai tutto il giorno? Smetti di essere un fannullone!What do you do all day? Stop being a lazybones!
- Non fare il poltrone tutto il giorno.Don't be a lazybones all day long.
- 2 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Martina is waking up Francesco on a Saturday morning.
- MartinaSvegliati, poltrone! È già tardi.Wake up, lazybones! It's already late.
- FrancescoAncora cinque minuti, per favore.Five more minutes, please.
- MartinaDobbiamo uscire di casa ora.We have to leave the house now.
- FrancescoVa bene, mi alzo subito.Alright, I'm getting up right now.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “lazybones” translations and entries poltrone, pigrone, scansafatiche, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries poltrone, scansafatiche, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
