emozionante
/e.mot.t͡sjoˈnan.te/
The English word 'poignant' can be translated into Italian as emozionante, intenso or commovente.
Meaning: evoking strong mental sensation (adj)
Ways to say it
| Italian | IPA | Note |
|---|---|---|
| emozionante | /e.mot.t͡sjoˈnan.te/ | |
| commovente | /kom.moˈvɛn.te/ | |
| intenso | /inˈtɛn.so/ | masculine |
Which one should you use?
emozionante is used for things that evoke strong emotion, whether positive (exciting) or negative (moving). commovente specifically describes something that 'moves' you to tears or deep sentiment, often used for sad or touching moments.
How does it change in a sentence?
intenso is the masculine form.
How do you pronounce it?
/e.mot.tsjoˈnan.te/. The word has 5 syllables, with the stress on the 4th syllable.
Did you know?
- The word emozionante is used for both poignant sadness and high-adrenaline excitement, meaning a tragic opera and a bungee jump can be described by the same adjective.
- When a situation is exceptionally poignant, Italians may use the visceral phrase mi si spezza il cuore. This does not just mean your heart is heavy, but that it is actually 'snapping' or 'breaking into pieces'.
- The word commovente comes from the verb commuovere, which literally means 'to move together' or 'to shake'. It describes a poignant feeling as a physical movement of the soul.
Examples in context
- Il discorso del presidente è stato estremamente commovente.The president's speech was extremely poignant.
- La sua storia personale è davvero straziante.His personal story is truly poignant.
- Il film che ho visto ieri sera era davvero toccante.The movie I watched last night was really poignant.
- La sua poesia è così emozionante che mi ha fatto venir voglia di piangere.His poetry is so poignant that it made me want to cry.
- È stato un momento molto emozionante.It was a very poignant moment.
- Il finale del film è stato emozionante.The end of the movie was poignant.
- Il suo discorso è stato davvero emozionante.Her speech was truly poignant.
Example conversation
Martina and Matteo are talking after watching a play.
- MartinaChe spettacolo emozionante, vero?What a poignant show, right?
- MatteoSì, Martina, mi ha toccato molto.Yes, Martina, it touched me deeply.
- MartinaNon riuscivo a smettere di piangere.I couldn't stop crying.
- MatteoAnche io sono rimasto senza parole.I was left speechless too.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “poignant” translations and entries emozionante, commovente, intenso, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
