fango
/ˈfan.ɡo/
The Italian word for muck is fango.
fango refers to anything filthy and vile, dirt.
Meaning: anything filthy and vile, dirt (noun)
How do you pronounce it?
The word has two syllables, with the stress on the first syllable: /ˈfan.ɡo/.
Did you know?
- The word fango is central to the traditional 'mud baths' of Tuscany, where it is viewed as a healing medicinal treatment rather than something vile.
- The word fango originates from the Vulgar Latin word *fangus, which was borrowed from a Germanic source.
- The word fango is used in the expression tirare fango (to throw mud) to describe the act of slandering or ruining someone's reputation.
Examples in context
- Ho calpestato del fango per strada.I stepped on some muck on the road.
- Dopo la pioggia, la strada era piena di melma.After the rain, the road was full of muck.
- Non toccare quel fango puzzolente!Don't touch that stinky muck!
- Non camminare nella fanghiglia!Don't walk in the muck!
- Ho dovuto lavare via la melma fetente dal mio vestito.I had to wash off the stinky muck from my clothes.
- Il fango copre tutta la strada.The muck covers the whole road.
- Attento a non calpestare il fango.Be careful not to step in the muck.
- Le scarpe sono piene di fango.The shoes are full of muck.
Example conversation
Matteo and Giulia are walking back from a rainy hike.
- MatteoGuarda quanto fango c'è sui tuoi stivali, Giulia.Look how much muck is on your boots, Giulia.
- GiuliaSì, è un disastro.Yes, it is a disaster.
- MatteoDobbiamo pulire tutto prima di entrare in casa.We have to clean everything before entering the house.
- GiuliaHai ragione, Matteo.You are right, Matteo.
Sources
- Pronunciation: Wiktionary entry fango, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries fango, CC BY-SA 4.0.
