tacca
/ˈtak.ka/feminine
The English word "nick" can be translated into Italian as tacca. Wiktionary also lists intaccatura.
Meaning: small cut in a surface (noun)
Ways to say it
| Italian | IPA | Note |
|---|---|---|
| tacca | /ˈtak.ka/ | feminine |
| intaccatura | feminine |
The term refers to a small cut in a surface.
Which one should you use?
tacca is used for a small nick or notch, whereas intaccatura is a more formal or technical term used to describe a notch or an indentation in a surface.
Related words
How does it change in a sentence?
The verb intaccare describes the action of making a nick or a notch in something. The plural form of tacca is tacche.
How do you pronounce it?
The word tacca is pronounced /ˈtak.ka/. It has 2 syllables, with the stress on the 1st syllable.
Did you know?
- In Italian, the phrase una tacca is commonly used to describe a single bar of signal strength on a mobile phone.
- The word tacca is a linguistic loan from Germanic origins, making it a relative of the German word Zacke meaning 'tooth' or 'point'.
- Historically, tacche were used as physical tally marks on wooden sticks to record debts or quantities before the widespread use of paper ledgers.
Examples in context
- C'è una tacca sul tavolo.There is a nick on the table.
- Guarda quella piccola tacca sul legno.Look at that small nick on the wood.
- La tacca è molto superficiale.The nick is very superficial.
Example conversation
Lorenzo and Martina are inspecting a new wooden coffee table.
- MartinaLorenzo, guarda questa tacca sul bordo.Lorenzo, look at this nick on the edge.
- LorenzoHai ragione, è proprio lì.You're right, it's right there.
- MartinaSi vede molto chiaramente.It is very clearly visible.
- LorenzoDobbiamo chiamare il negozio.We need to call the shop.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “nick” translations and entries tacca, intaccatura, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries intaccatura, tacca, CC BY-SA 4.0.
