persona
/perˈso.na/feminine
The Italian word for person is persona.
The most straightforward and common term for person in Italian is persona, which specifically refers to a human being. You can also use the phrase di persona to mean 'in person' or 'personally'.
Meaning: specifically a human being (noun)
How does it change in a sentence?
The noun persona is always feminine. This means that even when you are referring to a man, you must use the feminine article una in the phrase una persona. The plural form of persona is persone.
How do you pronounce it?
The word has 3 syllables, with the stress on the 2nd syllable: /perˈso.na/.
Did you know?
- The Latin root of persona is believed to be Etruscan, meaning it predates the Roman Empire's influence on the language.
- The word persona comes from the Latin persōna, which originally referred to the masks worn by actors in ancient theatre to project a specific character.
- While persona refers to a human, the word personaggio refers to a 'character' in a story or a 'celebrity' in public life.
Examples in context
- Lei è una persona.You're a person.This sentence demonstrates how to identify someone as a person using persona.Tatoeba #2481866 by Guybrush88, translation #433601 by CM
- Ci andò di persona.He went there in person.This sentence shows the use of persona in the phrase meaning 'in person'.Tatoeba #906051 by Guybrush88, translation #298445 by CK
- È venuto di persona.He came in person.This sentence illustrates the use of persona to mean 'in person'.Tatoeba #375394 by Pharamp, translation #317728 by CK
- Ho incontrato una persona molto gentile oggi.I met a very kind person today.
- La persona che aspettiamo dovrebbe arrivare presto.The person we are waiting for should arrive soon.
- È importante che ogni individuo rispetti le leggi.It's important that every person respects the laws.
- Il soggetto coinvolto nell'incidente non è stato ancora identificato.The person involved in the accident has not been identified yet.
- Hai visto quel ragazzo?Have you seen that guy?
- Maria è una ragazza molto simpatica.Maria is a very nice girl.
- 1300 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Martina is describing a new colleague to Francesco.
- MartinaLa nuova collega è una persona molto gentile.The new colleague is a very kind person.
- FrancescoDavvero? Mi farebbe piacere conoscerla.Really? I would like to meet her.
- MartinaÈ una persona che ama lavorare in squadra.She is a person who loves working in a team.
- FrancescoOttimo, allora ci andremo d'accordo.Great, then we will get along.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “person” translations and entries persona, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries persona, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
