mezzogiorno
/ˌmɛd.d͡zoˈd͡ʒor.no/
The English phrase 'midday' is translated into Italian as mezzogiorno.
mezzogiorno refers specifically to twelve o'clock in the afternoon, but it is also frequently used to describe the midday period or the general time around lunch. If you want to refer specifically to 'lunchtime', the phrase L'ora di pranzo is used.
What does it mean word for word?
The word mezzogiorno is a compound of mezzo, meaning 'middle' or 'half' and giorno, meaning 'day'.
Which one should you use?
While mezzogiorno is the term for midday, the term used for midnight is mezzanotte.
How do you pronounce it?
/ˌmɛd.dzoˈdʒor.no/. The word has 4 syllables, and the stress is on the 3rd syllable.
Did you know?
- The Italian word for midday, mezzogiorno, is also the name used for the South of Italy, specifically the regions of the Mezzogiorno. This creates a linguistic link between the time of day and the geographical sun-drenched part of the country.
- If you are traveling in Italy and a shopkeeper says they close at mezzogiorno, they might actually mean they are closing for the long afternoon 'siesta' period that begins around that time.
- In some traditional rural Italian contexts, the mezzogiorno bell rung by the village church historically signaled the start of a mandatory break for field workers.
Examples in context
- Rimango fino a mezzogiorno.I stay until midday.This sentence is useful for expressing how long you will remain somewhere using mezzogiorno.Tatoeba #2841292 by Guybrush88, translation #2965232 by Wakano
- Noi pranziamo a mezzogiorno.We have lunch at midday.This sentence is useful for describing when a group has lunch using mezzogiorno.Tatoeba #1268487 by rado, translation #1311876 by sundown
- La posta arriva prima di mezzogiorno.The post arrives before midday.This sentence is useful for stating when an event occurs before mezzogiorno.Tatoeba #12966032 by Guybrush88, translation #10969004 by helloroto
- È mezzogiornoIt's midday.
- Mi troverai al ristorante durante la pausa di mezzogiornoYou'll find me at the restaurant during the midday break/lunchtime.
- Sì, è l'ora di pranzoYes, it's lunchtime/midday
- 7 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Two friends are making plans to meet in the city center.
- AlessandroA che ora ci incontriamo, Giulia?What time shall we meet, Giulia?
- GiuliaPossiamo vederci a mezzogiorno.We can see each other at midday.
- AlessandroVa bene, io arrivo puntuale.All right, I will arrive on time.
- GiuliaPerfetto, a dopo allora!Perfect, see you later then!
Sources
- Pronunciation: Wiktionary entry mezzogiorno, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
