fulmine
/ˈful.mi.ne/
The English phrase "lightning strike" is fulmine in Italian.
fulmine refers to the event occurring during an electrical storm. Beyond its literal meaning, the idiomatic phrase colpo di fulmine is used to describe an intense and sudden attraction.
Meaning: event during an electrical storm (noun)
How do you pronounce it?
fulmine is pronounced /ˈful.mi.ne/. It has 3 syllables, with the stress on the 1st syllable.
When do people say it?
The expression colpo di fulmine, which literally means 'strike of lightning', is used to describe the experience of falling in love at first sight.
Did you know?
- The word fulmine shares its way of thinking with the English word 'fulminate', which means to express vehement protest.
- In historical and mythological contexts, fulmine specifically refers to the weapon thrown by Jupiter, the king of the gods, rather than just a natural weather event.
- The term colpo di fulmine is so common that it is often used to describe not just romantic love, but any sudden, irresistible attraction to an object or a place.
Examples in context
- Durante il temporale, il fulmine colpisce spesso le montagne.During the thunderstorm, lightning often strikes the mountains.
- Il fulmine ha colpito l'albero.The lightning struck the tree.
- Un fulmine ha colpito l'albero.A lightning strike hit the tree.
- Abbiamo visto un fulmine in lontananza.We saw a lightning strike in the distance.
Example conversation
Matteo and Sofia are watching a storm from their balcony.
- MatteoGuarda, è caduto un fulmine!Look, a lightning strike just fell!
- SofiaSì, è stato un fulmine molto vicino.Yes, it was a very close lightning strike.
- MatteoSpero che non colpisca la nostra casa.I hope it doesn't strike our house.
- SofiaNon preoccuparti, Matteo, entriamo al chiuso.Don't worry, Matteo, let's go inside.
Sources
- Pronunciation: Wiktionary entry fulmine, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries fulmine, CC BY-SA 4.0.
