sfumatura
/sfu.maˈtu.ra/
The English word nuance is translated into Italian as sfumatura.
sfumatura refers to a minor distinction. It is used both in art (to describe shading/gradients) and in linguistics or logic (to describe subtle distinctions in meaning). If you wish to express the act of applying a nuance to something, you can use the verb dettagliare.
Meaning: minor distinction (noun)
What does it mean word for word?
The word sfumatura is derived from the verb sfumare, meaning 'to shade' or 'to blur the edges'.
Related words
How does it change in a sentence?
As a feminine noun, it is preceded by the feminine indefinite article una. The plural of sfumatura is sfumature.
How do you pronounce it?
The word is pronounced /sfu.maˈtu.ra/. It has 4 syllables, with the stress on the 3rd syllable.
Did you know?
- The verb sfumare is also used in Italian cooking to describe the act of deglazing a pan with wine or spirits to let the alcohol evaporate.
- The Italian word sfumatura shares an ancient ancestor with the English word 'smoke', coming from the Latin word for 'smoke', fūmus.
- In Italian art history, the term sfumatura is most famously associated with the 'sfumato' technique used by Leonardo da Vinci to create soft, smoky transitions between colors.
Examples in context
- Questa parola ha una sfumatura sottile in essa.This word has a subtle nuance to it.This sentence is useful for seeing how to describe the presence of a subtle nuance in a word using sfumatura.Tatoeba #3783641 by Guybrush88, translation #48181 by orcrist
- Durante la conversazione, ho notato una sottigliezza nel suo discorso che ha completamente cambiato il mio punto di vista.During the conversation, I noticed a nuance in his speech that completely changed my perspective.
- C'è una sfumatura di colore diversa in questo quadro.There is a different nuance of color in this painting.
- Non ho colto quella piccola sfumatura nel suo discorso.I didn't catch that small nuance in his speech.
Example conversation
Giulia and Matteo are discussing a painting.
- GiuliaGuarda questa sfumatura di blu nel cielo.Look at this nuance of blue in the sky.
- MatteoSì, è molto delicata e naturale.Yes, it is very delicate and natural.
- GiuliaÈ proprio questa sfumatura che rende il quadro vivo.It's exactly this nuance that makes the painting vivid.
- MatteoHai ragione, Giulia, l'artista è stato bravo.You are right, Giulia, the artist was skilled.
Sources
- Pronunciation: Wiktionary entry sfumatura, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries sfumatura, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
