ciottolo
/ˈt͡ʃɔt.to.lo/masculine
The Italian word for pebble is ciottolo.
ciottolo refers to a smooth, water-worn stone. If you want to express the action of paving a surface with pebbles, you can use the verb acciottolare.
Meaning: stone (noun)
Which one should you use?
Use ciottolo specifically for smooth, water-worn pebbles. For a general term that refers to any stone, use pietra.
Related words
How do you pronounce it?
The word has 3 syllables, with the stress on the 1st syllable. It is pronounced /ˈtʃɔt.to.lo/.
Did you know?
- In Italian art and mosaic work, small pebbles or stone chips are referred to as tessere when they are used to create an image, moving away from the word ciottolo.
- The ancient Roman roads that once connected the empire were often built using ciottoli to create a durable surface that could withstand heavy traffic and weather.
- The word ciottolo is a diminutive of the archaic term ciotto, which used to refer to a small, rounded object.
Examples in context
- La strada era piena di sassi e qualche masso di dimensioni considerevoli.The road was full of pebbles and a few rather large ones.
- Hai visto quel ciottolo liscio? È perfetto per il mio progetto artistico.Did you see that smooth pebble? It's perfect for my art project.
- Ti regalo questo sassolino come portafortuna.I'm giving you this small pebble as a good luck charm.
- Oh, che sassino carino! L'ho trovato nel parco.Oh, what a cute little pebble! I found it in the park.
- Il sentiero è pieno di ciottoli.The path is full of pebbles.
- Ho trovato un piccolo ciottolo sulla spiaggia.I found a small pebble on the beach.
- Lancia il ciottolo nell'acqua.Throw the pebble into the water.
Example conversation
Sofia and Francesco are walking along a riverbank.
- SofiaGuarda questo ciottolo, è davvero liscio!Look at this pebble, it is really smooth!
- FrancescoSì, è molto bello, Sofia.Yes, it is very beautiful, Sofia.
- SofiaVuoi tenerlo come ricordo?Do you want to keep it as a souvenir?
- FrancescoNo, preferisco lasciarlo qui nel fiume.No, I prefer to leave it here in the river.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “pebble” translations and entries ciottolo, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries ciottolo, CC BY-SA 4.0.
