zanzara
/d͡zanˈd͡za.ra/feminine
In Italian, mosquito is zanzara.
The word zanzara refers to the small flying insect of the family Culicidae that is known for biting and sucking blood.
Meaning: small flying insect of the family Culicidae, known for biting and sucking blood (noun)
Which one should you use?
While zanzara is the standard term, you can use zanzolone to refer specifically to a particularly large mosquito.
How does it change in a sentence?
zanzara is a feminine noun. Because of this, the indefinite article for 'a mosquito' is una zanzara. The plural form is zanzare, and the definite plural article used for mosquitoes is le zanzare.
How do you pronounce it?
The word is pronounced /dzanˈdza.ra/. It has 3 syllables, with the stress on the 2nd of 3 syllables.
What mistakes should you avoid?
English speakers often mistakenly use the masculine article il instead of the feminine la for zanzara.
Did you know?
- While English uses 'mosquito' to describe the bug, the Italian zanzara shares no linguistic root with the Spanish 'mosquito' or English 'mosquito'.
- The diminutive zanzarinetta can be used to describe a tiny mosquito, but it can also be used as a playful, slightly teasing nickname for a person.
- The word zanzara is thought to be onomatopoeic, meaning it was originally created to imitate the buzzing sound the insect makes.
Examples in context
- Ho ucciso la zanzara.I killed the mosquito.This example shows how to use zanzara when describing killing one.Tatoeba #4079091 by Guybrush88, translation #3822229 by CK
- Mi ha appena punto una zanzara.A mosquito just bit me.This example shows how to use zanzara when a mosquito has bitten you.Tatoeba #627760 by Guybrush88, translation #23597 by CK
- Sono stato punto da una zanzara.I was bit by a mosquito.This example shows how to use zanzara in a passive sentence regarding being bitten.Tatoeba #541731 by Pharamp, translation #2825608 by Miktsoanit
- 21 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Alessandro and Sofia are trying to sleep in a bedroom.
- AlessandroSenti questo rumore? C'è una zanzara.Do you hear this noise? There is a mosquito.
- SofiaSì, l'ho sentita vicino all'orecchio.Yes, I heard it near my ear.
- AlessandroAccendi la luce per trovare la zanzara.Turn on the light to find the mosquito.
- SofiaOk, spero che non ci siano altre zanzare.Ok, I hope there aren't other mosquitoes.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “mosquito” translations and entries zanzara, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries zanzara, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
