colata di fango
/koˈla.ta di ˈfan.ɡo/word by word
The English phrase mudslide is colata di fango in Italian.
A mudslide is a geological disaster where a large amount of mud gathers and moves rapidly down a hill or slope. While colata di fango refers specifically to the movement of mud, the more general Italian term for a landslide is frana.
Meaning: geological disaster in which a large amount of mud gathers and moves rapidly down a hill or slope (noun)
What does it mean word for word?
The phrase is composed of colata, meaning a flow or pour and di fango, meaning of mud.
Which one should you use?
colata di fango is the standard term for a mudslide, whereas frana is a broader term used for any landslide. For formal contexts, you may also see Frana di fango or the highly descriptive Cedimento di terreno a causa di fango (ground collapse due to mud).
How does it change in a sentence?
To express the plural mudslides, change the feminine noun colata to its plural form colate, resulting in colate di fango.
How do you pronounce it?
The pronunciation is /koˈla.ta di ˈfan.ɡo/. It has 5 syllables, with the stress on the 2nd syllable.
Did you know?
- The word fango is a linguistic outlier because it stems from Germanic roots rather than the Classical Latin that defines most Italian nouns.
- In Italy, the term colata is more likely to trigger thoughts of volcanic lava flows than a mudslide due to the country's frequent volcanic activity.
- In Italian, the word fango is used in the idiom gettare fango, which literally means 'to throw mud' but is used to describe smearing someone's reputation with lies.
Examples in context
- La recente frana di fango ha causato danni considerevoli al villaggio.The recent mudslide caused significant damage to the village.
- Siamo preoccupati per la possibilità di una futura frana di fango.We are concerned about the possibility of a future mudslide.
- Hai sentito della frana di fango nella nostra zona?Have you heard about the mudslide in our area?
- La colata di fango ha bloccato la strada.The mudslide blocked the road.
- La colata di fango ha bloccato la strada principale.The mudslide blocked the main road.
- Dopo la pioggia torrenziale, si è verificata una colata di fango.After the torrential rain, a mudslide occurred.
- Dobbiamo stare attenti a una possibile colata di fango.We must be careful of a possible mudslide.
Example conversation
Martina and Lorenzo are watching the news about a storm.
- MartinaGuarda, è avvenuta una colata di fango qui.Look, a mudslide happened here.
- LorenzoÈ terribile, Lorenzo è scioccato.It is terrible, Lorenzo is shocked.
- MartinaSpero che non ci siano stati feriti.I hope there were no injured people.
- LorenzoSì, spero che tutti siano al sicuro.Yes, I hope everyone is safe.
