leva
/ˈlɛ.va/
The Italian word for "lever" is leva.
leva refers to a small mechanical piece used to trigger or control a device.
Meaning: small such piece to trigger or control a mechanical device (noun)
How does it change in a sentence?
leva is a feminine noun. Its plural form is leve.
How do you pronounce it?
/ˈlɛ.va/. The stressed syllable is the first of two.
Did you know?
- The word leva is also the term for military conscription or the draft. In this context, it refers to the 'raising' of a new group of soldiers into service.
- In Italian, fare leva su is a common idiom meaning 'to leverage' or 'to play upon' someone's emotions or a specific argument to get a desired result.
- When discussing a 'leveraged buyout' in finance, Italian professionals often use the term leva finanziaria.
Examples in context
- L'ingegnere ha studiato attentamente le leve usate nel meccanismo.The engineer carefully studied the levers used in the mechanism.
- Tira la leva per partire.Pull the lever to start.
- La leva è troppo dura.The lever is too stiff.
- Devi spostare la leva a sinistra.You need to move the lever to the left.
Example conversation
Matteo and Sofia are working on a small machine in a workshop.
- MatteoSofia, prova a muovere questa leva.Sofia, try to move this lever.
- SofiaNon riesco, la leva è bloccata.I can't, the lever is stuck.
- MatteoLascia che ci pensi io.Let me take a look at it.
- SofiaGrazie, Matteo, sei molto bravo.Thanks, Matteo, you are very good.
Sources
- Pronunciation: Wiktionary entry leva, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
