zampa
/ˈd͡zam.pa/feminine
The English phrase "paw" is translated into Italian as zampa.
The word refers to the soft foot of an animal.
Meaning: soft foot of an animal (noun)
How does it change in a sentence?
The plural form of zampa is zampe.
How do you pronounce it?
The word is pronounced /ˈdzam.pa/. It has 2 syllables, with the stress on the 1st syllable.
Did you know?
- The word zampa is used in the common idiom avere le zampe in pasta, which means to be involved in something or to have a finger in the pie.
- If you are talking about a person's heavy-handed or clumsy touch, an Italian might describe it using the word zampone, though this is also the name of a famous spicy pork sausage.
- The word zampa is used to describe the sturdy leg of a table or chair in Italian, whereas English uses 'leg'.
Examples in context
- Il gatto stava toccando il topo con la zampa.The cat was touching the mouse with its paw.This sentence is useful for describing an animal touching something with its zampa.Tatoeba #11387211 by carlosalberto, translation #11387164 by carlosalberto
- Questo cane non vuole muoversi perché gli fa male la zampa.This dog doesn't want to move because his paw hurts.This sentence is useful for expressing that an animal's zampa is hurting.Tatoeba #11008393 by carlosalberto, translation #11008307 by tjwhale
- Il mio cane ha una zampa molto forte.My dog has a very strong paw.
- Guarda le piccole zampette di questo gattino.Look at this kitten's tiny paws.
- Il cane sta seduto ad aspettarci, con il suo zampino sulla mia gamba.The dog is sitting there waiting for us, with its paw on my leg.
Example conversation
Chiara and Francesco are looking at a puppy.
- ChiaraGuarda che carina questa piccola zampa!Look how cute this little paw is!
- FrancescoSì, è proprio adorabile.Yes, it is truly adorable.
- ChiaraIl cucciolo mi ha messo la zampa sulla mano.The puppy put its paw on my hand.
- FrancescoPenso che ti voglia bene, Chiara.I think he likes you, Chiara.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “paw” translations and entries zampa, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
