poliziotto
/po.litˈt͡sjɔt.to/
The Italian word for policeman is poliziotto.
poliziotto refers to a member of a police force who maintains public order and enforces the law.
Which one should you use?
While poliziotto is the common term for a policeman, agente di polizia is used when you want to emphasize an official capacity, such as when referring to a police officer in a professional context.
How does it change in a sentence?
The word changes based on gender and number. The feminine singular form is poliziotta (policewoman), and the masculine plural form is poliziotti (policemen). If you are referring to a group of female officers, use the feminine plural form poliziotte (policewomen).
How do you pronounce it?
The word has 4 syllables, with the stress on the 3rd syllable: /po.litˈtsjɔt.to/.
Did you know?
- In Italy, you may see officers from the Carabinieri who are a military force with police duties, meaning they are technically soldiers rather than poliziotti.
- In some historical contexts or very informal slang, the term sbirro has been used to refer to a policeman, though it is highly derogatory and should be avoided.
- The Italian word for police, polizia, shares the same root as the English word 'policy', both descending from the Greek word pólis meaning 'city'.
Examples in context
- Lei è un poliziotto?Are you a policeman?This example is useful for asking if someone is a poliziotto.Tatoeba #2553595 by Guybrush88, translation #1886360 by CK
- Io sono un poliziotto.I'm a policeman.This example is useful for stating that you are a poliziotto.Tatoeba #2481959 by Guybrush88, translation #566994 by CK
- Tom era un poliziotto.Tom used to be a policeman.This example is useful for describing someone who used to be a poliziotto.Tatoeba #6540777 by Guybrush88, translation #6531380 by CK
- Ho bisogno di parlare con un poliziotto.I need to speak with a policeman.
- L' agente di polizia è intervenuto tempestivamente.The police officer intervened promptly.
- Mi serve l'aiuto della poliziotta per ritrovare il mio cane.I need the help of a policewoman to find my dog.
- I carabinieri sono molto attivi nel contrasto alla criminalità.The carabinieri are very active in fighting crime.
- 134 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Sofia is telling Francesco about a man she saw on the street.
- FrancescoHai visto quel poliziotto?Did you see that policeman?
- SofiaSì, era molto gentile con me.Yes, he was very kind to me.
- FrancescoIl poliziotto ti ha aiutata?Did the policeman help you?
- SofiaSì, mi ha indicato la strada.Yes, he pointed me the way.
Sources
- Pronunciation: Wiktionary entry poliziotto, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
