maschio
/ˈmas.kjo/masculine
The Italian word for male is maschio.
Maschio is used as a noun to refer to a human or animal of the masculine sex. It is the standard term used when asking about the sex of pets or animals. To refer to a person using the subject pronoun for 'he' or 'him', use lui.
Meaning: human of masculine sex or gender (noun)
Which one should you use?
Maschio is used as a noun to identify a male individual. In contrast, maschile is the adjective used to describe grammatical gender or qualities, such as genere maschile (masculine gender). When discussing the sex of animals or humans in a binary context, maschio is contrasted with femmina.
Is it said differently in some regions?
In certain central and southern areas of Italy, particularly Rome and Naples, you may encounter omo as a regional adaptation of the standard word for man, uomo.
Related words
How does it change in a sentence?
The plural form of the noun maschio is maschi.
How do you pronounce it?
{'ipa': '/ˈmas.kjo/', 'syllables': 2, 'stressed_syllable': '1 of 2'}
Did you know?
- The term maschio is used in the phrase fare il maschio, which means to act tough or assert one's dominance. It is similar to the English expression 'acting like a man'.
- While maschio denotes biological sex, the word uomo refers to a human male. Using maschio to describe a person in a social setting can sound clinical or overly biological.
- The word maschio is frequently used in the context of the zodiac, specifically when referring to 'masculine' signs in astrology.
Examples in context
- Vidi un leone maschio.I saw a male lion.This sentence is useful for identifying the sex of a lion.Tatoeba #13345230 by Guybrush88, translation #6297788 by RobinvanderVliet
- Cookie è maschio o femmina?Is Cookie male or female?This sentence is useful for asking about the sex of a pet named Cookie.Tatoeba #13921050 by Guybrush88, translation #13904847 by rul
- Quel cane è maschio o femmina?Is that dog male or female?This sentence is useful for asking about the sex of a dog.Tatoeba #5046760 by Guybrush88, translation #68424 by CK
- Il signor Rossi è un uomo gentile.Mr. Rossi is a kind man.
- Il veterinario ha confermato che il cane è un maschio.The veterinarian confirmed that the dog is male.
- Oggi ho incontrato il mio vecchio amico, un ragazzo molto simpatico.Today I met my old friend, a very nice guy.
- Ho incontrato un tipo strano ieri sera.I met a strange guy last night.
- 18 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Matteo and Chiara are at a pet shelter looking at kittens.
- MatteoQuesto gattino è maschio?Is this kitten male?
- ChiaraSì, è un maschio molto vivace.Yes, he is a very lively male.
- MatteoÈ molto carino, Chiara.He is very cute, Chiara.
- ChiaraAllora preferisci un maschio?So, do you prefer a male?
Sources
- Wiktionary, “male” translations and entries maschio, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
