Pompei
/pomˈpɛj/feminine
The English name Pompeii is translated into Italian as Pompei.
Meaning: a historical city (name)
How does it change in a sentence?
In Italian, the name of the city is spelled Pompei without the double 'i' found in English. The name is a feminine noun.
How do you pronounce it?
/pomˈpɛj/
Did you know?
- The Italian name Pompei comes from the personal name Pompeo, which was a common Roman name. This connects the city's identity to an individual person rather than a geographical feature.
- In Italian, the word Pompei refers to both the ancient ruins and the modern inhabited town that grew up around them.
- In Italian literary traditions, the name Pompei is often used as a symbolic shorthand for the suddenness of fate and the fragility of human ambition.
Examples in context
- Pompei si sta sgretolando.Pompeii is crumbling.This sentence is useful for describing the state of Pompei.Tatoeba #12550808 by Guybrush88, translation #1773929 by Spamster
- Ho visitato Pompei durante le mie vacanze in Italia.I visited Pompeii during my vacation in Italy.
- Ho letto un libro interessante sulla storia di Pompei.I read an interesting book about the history of Pompeii.
- Vorrei prendere un treno per Pompei domani.I would like to take a train to Pompeii tomorrow.
- Pompei è stata distrutta dal Vesuvio.Pompei was destroyed by Vesuvius.
- Voglio visitare i resti di Pompei.I want to visit the ruins of Pompeii.
Example conversation
Chiara and Lorenzo are planning a trip to Italy.
- ChiaraAndiamo a Pompei questo fine settimana?Shall we go to Pompeii this weekend?
- LorenzoSì, mi piacerebbe molto andarci.Yes, I would really like to go there.
- ChiaraHo già comprato i biglietti per Pompei.I already bought the tickets for Pompeii.
- LorenzoOttimo, grazie mille Chiara!Great, thanks a lot Chiara!
Sources
- Wiktionary, “pompeii” translations and entries Pompei, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries Pompei, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
