marmo
/ˈmar.mo/masculine
The Italian word for marble is marmo.
marmo is a masculine noun referring to the crystalline limestone. You may encounter specific varieties such as marmo bianco di Carrara, which refers to white marble from the Carrara region in northern Tuscany, marmo rosso di Verona for red marble from Verona in northern Italy or the related term marmo di Botticino.
Meaning: crystalline limestone (noun)
How do you pronounce it?
/ˈmar.mo/. The word has 2 syllables and the stress is on the 1st syllable.
Did you know?
- Unlike English, where 'marble' is also a common name for a small glass toy, the Italian word biglia is used for the game, so there is no linguistic confusion between the stone and the toy.
- The Greek root of marmo, 'marmaros', originally meant 'shining stone', a description of the way light reflects off the crystalline structure.
- The ancient Romans were so obsessed with marmo that Augustus Caesar famously boasted he found Rome a city of brick and left it a city of marble.
Examples in context
- Questa statua è fatta di marmo.This statue is made of marble.This sentence is useful for seeing how to say a statue is made of marmo.Tatoeba #993040 by Guybrush88, translation #1737181 by Espi
- Le sue gambe son colonne di marmo, fondate su basi d’oro puro.His legs are as pillars of marble, set upon sockets of fine gold.This sentence shows the use of marmo in a poetic context describing pillars.Tatoeba #2845227 by carlosalberto, translation #2845214 by carlosalberto
- Le colonne marmoree conferiscono un'eleganza senza tempo all'edificio.The marble columns provide a timeless elegance to the building.
- marmo biancoWhite marble
- La scultura in marmo è una delle meraviglie dell'arte italiana.Marble sculpture is one of the wonders of Italian art.
- Il tavolo in marmo è molto pesante.The marble table is very heavy.
Example conversation
Alessandro and Giulia are visiting a museum.
- AlessandroGuarda che bello questo marmo!Look how beautiful this marble is!
- GiuliaSì, è davvero lucido.Yes, it is really shiny.
- AlessandroPreferisco il marmo al granito.I prefer marble to granite.
- GiuliaAnche io, è più elegante.Me too, it is more elegant.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “marble” translations and entries marmo, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries marmo, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
