ovale
/oˈva.le/masculine
The English phrase "oval" is ovale in Italian.
ovale is a masculine noun used to describe a shape that is like an egg or an ellipse. Related adjectives used to describe something as being oval-shaped include ovale, ovoide and ovoidale.
Meaning: shape like an egg or ellipse (noun)
Which one should you use?
While ovale refers specifically to an elliptical shape, the word rotondo is used for a perfect circle.
Related words
How does it change in a sentence?
The plural form of the noun ovale is ovali.
How do you pronounce it?
The word has 3 syllables, with the stress on the 2nd syllable. The IPA is /oˈva.le/.
Did you know?
- The Italian word for 'oval' shares a linguistic ancestor with the English word 'ovary', because both trace back to the concept of an egg-like form.
- When discussing the shape of a face, an Italian might use faccia a uovo (egg face) as a more colloquial, slightly more descriptive alternative to the formal viso ovale.
- In Italian art history, ovale is frequently used to describe the 'oval' paintings common in the Baroque period to fit specific architectural frames.
Examples in context
- Ha un volto ovale.She has an oval face.This sentence is useful for describing a person's face using ovale.Tatoeba #10226695 by Guybrush88, translation #4943598 by AlanF_US
- Una palla da rugby è ovale.A rugby ball is oval.This sentence is useful for describing the shape of a rugby ball using ovale.Tatoeba #13272791 by Guybrush88, translation #10557385 by AlanF_US
- Un uovo non è rotondo ma ovale.An egg is not round but oval.This sentence is useful for contrasting a round shape with an ovale shape.Tatoeba #11727962 by Guybrush88, translation #10557388 by AlanF_US
- Mi piacciono gli oggetti ovaliI like oval objects
- Questo quadro ha una forma simile a un uovoThis painting has a shape similar to an egg
- 1 more sentence on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Chiara and Matteo are choosing a mirror for the bathroom.
- ChiaraTi piace questo specchio ovale?Do you like this oval mirror?
- MatteoSì, ma preferisco quello rotondo.Yes, but I prefer the round one.
- ChiaraL'ovale però è più elegante.The oval one is more elegant, though.
- MatteoHai ragione, prendiamo l'ovale.You are right, let's take the oval one.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “oval” translations and entries ovale, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries ovale, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
