niente pesce
/ˈnjɛn.te ˈpeʃ.ʃe/word by word
The English phrase "no fish" is translated into Italian as niente pesce.
The phrase is used to state that there is no fish available or present.
What does it mean word for word?
The phrase is composed of niente (nothing/no) and pesce (fish).
How does it change in a sentence?
While niente pesce is used in certain contexts, nessun pesce is the more grammatically standard way to say "no fish" when the word functions as an adjective modifying the noun.
How do you pronounce it?
The word has 4 syllables and the stress is on the 1st syllable. The IPA is /ˈnjɛn.te ˈpeʃ.ʃe/.
Did you know?
- The word niente likely evolved from the Latin phrase ne gentem, which means 'no person' or 'no one'.
- The word pesce is a direct descendant of the Latin piscem, which also gave English the specialized word 'piscine'.
- Italian uses niente as a conversational filler to dismiss a topic or indicate that something is not important, similar to the English 'nothing' or 'whatever'.
Examples in context
- Non voglio pesce, per favore.I don't want fish, please.
- Non voglio pesce, grazie.I don't want fish, thank you.
Example conversation
Alessandro and Giulia are looking at the food options for dinner.
- AlessandroGiulia, cosa mangiamo stasera?Giulia, what are we eating tonight?
- GiuliaVolevo fare il salmone, ma c'è niente pesce.I wanted to make salmon, but there is no fish.
- AlessandroPossiamo andare a comprarne un po'?Can we go buy some?
- GiuliaSì, andiamo subito al supermercato.Yes, let's go to the supermarket right now.
Sources
- IPA marked “word by word” joins the Wiktionary pronunciations of each word (niente, pesce) and can differ in connected speech.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries niente, pesce, CC BY-SA 4.0.
