aereo
/aˈɛ.re.o/masculine
In Italian, the English word 'plane' is translated as aereo. Wiktionary also lists aeroplano.
Meaning: airplane (noun)
Ways to say it
| Italian | IPA | Note |
|---|---|---|
| aereo | /aˈɛ.re.o/ | masculine |
| aeroplano | /a.e.roˈpla.no/ | masculine |
The primary way to refer to an airplane is with the word aereo. If you want to express that you are traveling 'by plane', you should use the phrase in aereo.
Which one should you use?
While both aereo and aeroplano mean airplane, aereo is the common, shorter term used in everyday speech. In contrast, aeroplano is slightly more formal or technical.
Related words
How do you pronounce it?
The word has 4 syllables, with the stress on the 2nd syllable: /aˈɛ.re.o/.
What mistakes should you avoid?
Do not use the word piano to mean an airplane. Although it sounds like the English word 'plane', in Italian piano refers to something that is flat or level, a musical instrument, a floor of a building or the concept of 'slow'.
Did you know?
- The word piano has so many meanings that piano piano is a common idiom meaning 'very slowly', which is completely unrelated to the aircraft aeroplano.
- In Italian, if you say you are 'on a plane', you should say in aereo rather than using the preposition 'su', which can imply being on top of the object.
- The term aeroplano is a direct linguistic cousin to the French word aéroplane, following a common pattern of borrowing technical aviation terms from French.
Examples in context
- Io vidi un aereo.I saw a plane.This sentence is useful for seeing how to use aereo to mean a single airplane.Tatoeba #1646187 by Guybrush88, translation #317979 by CK
- Ci andrò in aereo.I will go there by plane.This sentence demonstrates the usage of aereo to express traveling by plane.Tatoeba #3106432 by Guybrush88, translation #2621169 by CC
- Questo aereo è suo.This plane is his.This sentence shows how to use aereo to indicate possession.Tatoeba #3629092 by Guybrush88, translation #57451 by CK
- Vorrei prenotare un biglietto aereo per Roma.I would like to book a plane ticket to Rome.
- Il prossimo aereo per Venezia parte alle 14:00.The next plane to Venice departs at 2:00 PM.
- Hai il numero di volo dell'aeroplano?Do you have the flight number of the plane?
- Ho paura di volare con gli aerei.I'm afraid of flying on planes.
- Dove hai parcheggiato l'aereo?Where did you park the plane?
- 407 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Martina and Alessandro are at the airport looking at the departures board.
- MartinaAlessandro, guarda quell'aereo!Alessandro, look at that airplane!
- AlessandroSì, è un aereo bellissimo.Yes, it is a beautiful airplane.
- MartinaIl nostro aereo è già arrivato?Has our airplane already arrived?
- AlessandroNo, Martina, l'aereo arriverà tra dieci minuti.No, Martina, the airplane will arrive in ten minutes.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “plane” translations and entries aereo, aeroplano, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries aereo, aeroplano, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
