penna
/ˈpen.na/feminine
The Italian word for writing pen is penna.
penna refers to a writing tool. In specific contexts, you may use penna stilografica to refer to a fountain pen or penna a sfera to refer to a ballpoint pen, which is the most common way to refer to a ballpoint pen in Italian. Note that penna is also the word used for a bird's feather.
Meaning: writing tool (noun)
Related words
How does it change in a sentence?
penna is a feminine noun. The plural form is penne.
How do you pronounce it?
The pronunciation of penna is /ˈpen.na/. It has two syllables, with the stress on the first syllable.
Did you know?
- The history of the word penna is a direct link to the Proto-Indo-European root for 'wing', making every time you write, you are using a word rooted in flight.
- While penna means 'feather', the soft, fluffy down of a bird is called piuma.
- The word penna is not related to the English 'pen' used for animal enclosures, which has a different root.
Examples in context
- È la tua penna?Is it your pen?This sentence is useful for asking if a pen belongs to someone.Tatoeba #11292238 by Guybrush88, translation #9019059 by Ergulis
- È la mia penna?Is that my pen?This sentence is useful for identifying the owner of a pen.Tatoeba #13282593 by Guybrush88, translation #11862317 by CK
- Mi dia la penna.Give me the pen.This sentence is useful for requesting a pen.Tatoeba #11292210 by Guybrush88, translation #5576749 by CK
- Il mio professore scrive sempre con una penna stilografica.My professor always writes with a fountain pen.
- Hai una penna a sfera che posso prendere in prestito?Do you have a ballpoint pen I can borrow?
- 479 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
At a desk in an office.
- ChiaraAlessandro, hai una penna?Alessandro, do you have a pen?
- AlessandroSì, eccola.Yes, here it is.
- ChiaraGrazie mille.Thanks a lot.
- AlessandroPrego, Chiara.You're welcome, Chiara.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “pen” translations and entries penna, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries penna, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
