mezzogiorno
/ˌmɛd.d͡zoˈd͡ʒor.no/masculine
The English phrase "noon" is translated into Italian as mezzogiorno.
mezzogiorno is a masculine noun used to refer to the middle of the day. It can also be used in a geographical context to refer to the southern part of Italy, typically written as il Mezzogiorno.
Meaning: midday (noun)
What does it mean word for word?
The word is a compound of mezzo, meaning "half" and giorno, meaning "day", so it literally means "half-day".
Is it said differently in some regions?
When used as il Mezzogiorno, the term refers specifically to South Italy.
How do you pronounce it?
The word has 4 syllables, with the stress on the 3rd syllable: /ˌmɛd.dzoˈdʒor.no/.
Did you know?
- While mezzogiorno marks the time, Italians often use the phrase a mezzogiorno to refer to the meal eaten at that time, similar to how 'lunch' is used in English.
- Because mezzogiorno means 'midday', the word mezzo is also used in mezzanotte to describe midnight, literally the 'half-night'.
- The Italian word mezzo in mezzogiorno comes from the Latin 'medius', which is the same root used for the English word 'medium'.
Examples in context
- Lui viene a mezzogiorno.He comes at noon.This sentence shows how to use mezzogiorno to indicate when someone is coming.Tatoeba #1814971 by Guybrush88, translation #660441 by CS
- Lui verrà a mezzogiorno.He'll come at noon.This sentence shows how to use mezzogiorno to indicate a future arrival time.Tatoeba #1814972 by Guybrush88, translation #703325 by papabear
- Si sveglia a mezzogiorno.He wakes up at noon.This sentence shows how to use mezzogiorno to indicate when someone wakes up.Tatoeba #4967055 by Guybrush88, translation #2304772 by Hybrid
- Ho un incontro fissato per le 12:00 di mezzogiorno.I have a meeting scheduled for 12:00 noon.
- Passo a prenderla a casa tua a mezzogiorno in punto.I'll come to pick you up at your place exactly at noon.
- 152 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
A woman and a man are discussing lunch plans.
- FrancescoCi vediamo a mezzogiorno?Shall we see each other at noon?
- SofiaSì, a mezzogiorno va bene.Yes, noon is fine.
- FrancescoPranziamo insieme allora.Let's have lunch together then.
- SofiaPerfetto, a dopo!Perfect, see you later!
Sources
- Wiktionary, “noon” translations and entries mezzogiorno, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
