Which one should you use?
When referring to a person's relationship, amante implies a sexual partner or an illicit affair, which differs from its use when describing someone who is a lover of an object or concept, such as food.
How does it change in a sentence?
The word amante is epicene, which means the form remains the same for both masculine and feminine nouns. The gender is instead indicated by the article used (un amante for a male or un'amante for a female).
How do you pronounce it?
The word has 3 syllables, with the stress on the 2nd syllable: /aˈman.te/.
What mistakes should you avoid?
Avoid using amante to mean a romantic boyfriend or girlfriend in a standard, committed relationship, as it carries a strong connotation of a secret or illicit sexual affair.
When do people say it?
If you wish to refer to a lover affectionately, you might use the informal term tesoro, which means treasure or the playful nickname cuore mio, which means my heart.
Did you know?
- In many classical Italian literary works, an amante is a standard character type used to drive tragic plots involving betrayal.
- The word amante shares its root with the English word 'amatory', which relates to romantic or sexual love.
- The word amante is a 'gender-neutral' noun, meaning its ending does not change from 'e' to 'a' when referring to a woman.
Examples in context
- Lei ha un amante.She has a lover.This sentence demonstrates the use of amante to mean a lover.Tatoeba #3345274 by Guybrush88, translation #2752875 by Hybrid
- Non ho un amante.I don't have a lover.This sentence shows the negative form of the word amante.Tatoeba #4692391 by Guybrush88, translation #3098772 by Hybrid
- È un amante del pane.He's a bread lover.This sentence shows how amante can be used to describe a lover of a specific thing, such as bread.Tatoeba #4061106 by Guybrush88, translation #1241224 by Scott
- Ho un amante straordinario.I have an extraordinary lover.
- Vieni qui, tesoro.Come here, sweetheart.
- Amore mio, sei il sole della mia vita.My love, you are the sunshine of my life.
- 66 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Chiara and Matteo are talking about a scandalous novel.
- MatteoChiara, hai letto il nuovo romanzo?Chiara, have you read the new novel?
- ChiaraSì, ma la storia è troppo scandalosa.Yes, but the story is too scandalous.
- MatteoParli dell'amante della protagonista?Are you talking about the protagonist's lover?
- ChiaraEsatto, Matteo, è molto intrigante.Exactly, Matteo, it is very intriguing.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “lover” translations and entries amante, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries amante, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
