nessuno
/nesˈsu.no/
None in Italian is nessuno, used to say that not one person or thing from a group is meant.
nessuno means none when talking about a group, as in none of them and it is also the standard word for nobody or no one.
How does it change in a sentence?
Before a feminine noun it becomes nessuna. Before most masculine nouns it shortens to nessun. When it stands alone as a pronoun meaning no one, it stays nessuno. In a negative sentence it is paired with non, which comes before the verb.
How do you pronounce it?
It is pronounced /nesˈsu.no/, in three syllables, with the stress on the middle one and a long s sound.
Did you know?
- The phrase is built from a logic of extremes, literally translating to 'not even one himself' to emphasize the total absence of anyone.
- In Italian, the word nessuno can also be used to describe a person who is a 'nobody' or lacks social status.
- While nessuno is the standard form, you might hear different versions like nisciuno or nissun in regions like Naples or Sardinia, reflecting the diverse dialects of the Italian peninsula.
Examples in context
- Nessuno di loro era lì.None of them was there.Nessuno di loro means none of them, followed here by a singular verb.Tatoeba #3261979 by Guybrush88, translation #2436195 by AlanF_US
- Nessuno di loro è vivo.None of them is alive.This uses the same pattern, Nessuno di loro, with the verb for is.Tatoeba #3491062 by Guybrush88, translation #276648 by CK
- Nessuno di noi lo voleva.None of us want that.Nessuno di noi means none of us.Tatoeba #2700465 by Guybrush88, translation #2011598 by CK
- Non ho ricevuto nessuna risposta.I haven't received any reply.
- Non c'è nessuna persona qui.There is no one here.
- Non ho nulla da fare oggi.I have nothing to do today.
- Non ho niente da mangiare.I have nothing to eat.
- Non ho mica fame.I'm not hungry at all.
- 75 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Alessandro and Martina are talking about a party they attended.
- AlessandroC'era molta gente alla festa?Was there a lot of people at the party?
- MartinaNo, non c'era nessuno.No, there was nobody.
- AlessandroDavvero? Nessuno è venuto?Really? Nobody came?
- MartinaEsatto, è stata una festa molto silenziosa.Exactly, it was a very quiet party.
Sources
- Pronunciation: Wiktionary entry nessuno, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries nessuno, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
