mascherata
feminine
The English phrase 'masquerade' can be translated into Italian as mascherata. Wiktionary also lists ballo in maschera and festa in costume.
Meaning: party or assembly of people wearing masks and costumes (noun)
Ways to say it
| Italian | IPA | Note |
|---|---|---|
| mascherata | feminine | |
| ballo in maschera | /ˈbal.lo in ˈmas.ke.ra/ (word by word) | masculine |
| festa in costume | /ˈfɛs.ta in kosˈtu.me/ (word by word) | feminine |
In Italian, several terms describe a masquerade or a gathering of people in disguise, depending on whether you are referring to a parade, a formal dance or a general party.
What does it mean word for word?
The feminine noun mascherata is derived from maschera, which means 'mask'.
Which one should you use?
The choice of word depends on the specific type of event: mascherata often implies a parade or a group of people wearing masks. ballo in maschera specifically refers to a masked ball or dance. For a more general costume party, use festa in costume.
Related words
How does it change in a sentence?
mascherata is a feminine noun. Its plural form is mascherate.
Did you know?
- In modern Italian, mascherata is often used figuratively to describe a farce, a sham or a deceptive situation that is not a party at all.
- In Italian theater, maschera refers not just to a physical object but to a specific stock character, such as the bragging Capitan Spada or the cunning Arlecchino.
- During the Venetian Carnival, the ballo in maschera was historically governed by strict laws that prohibited wearing masks in public except during the Carnival season.
Examples in context
- Ho partecipato al Carnevale di Venezia e mi sono divertito tantissimo al Ballo in maschera!I attended the Carnival of Venice and had a great time at the masked ball!
- Abbiamo organizzato un festino in maschera a casa mia e tutti i miei amici hanno partecipato!We organized a masked party at my place, and all my friends participated!
- Per il compleanno di mia sorella, ho comprato un meraviglioso travestimento da principessa.For my sister's birthday, I bought a marvelous princess costume.
- Tutti partecipano alla mascherata di questa sera.Everyone is participating in tonight's masquerade.
Example conversation
Giulia and Francesco are discussing plans for a local festival.
- GiuliaFrancesco, andiamo alla mascherata stasera?Francesco, are we going to the masquerade tonight?
- FrancescoSì, Giulia, mi piacerebbe molto.Yes, Giulia, I would like that very much.
- GiuliaHai già preparato il tuo costume?Have you prepared your costume yet?
- FrancescoNo, devo ancora comprarlo.No, I still have to buy it.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “masquerade” translations and entries mascherata, ballo in maschera, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- IPA marked “word by word” joins the Wiktionary pronunciations of each word (ballo, in, maschera, festa, costume) and can differ in connected speech.
