povero
/ˈpɔ.ve.ro/masculine
The Italian word for poor is povero.
The primary meaning of povero is having few or no possessions or money. It can also be used to mean 'unfortunate' or 'pitiful', such as in the expression povero me! (poor me!). When using the word to mean 'unfortunate', the adjective often precedes the noun, but when describing a lack of money, it often follows the noun.
Meaning: with few or no possessions or money (adj)
Which one should you use?
While povero is the standard term, there are different forms depending on the intended meaning. When referring to the poor people of a society or the poor class collectively as a noun, use poveri. For a colloquial sense of describing someone as a 'poor devil' or a wretch, use poveraccio.
Related words
How does it change in a sentence?
The adjective changes based on gender and number. The masculine singular form is povero, and the feminine singular form is povera. For plural forms, use poveri for masculine plural and povere for feminine plural.
How do you pronounce it?
The word has 3 syllables and the stress is on the 1st syllable. The IPA pronunciation is /ˈpɔ.ve.ro/.
Did you know?
- The term povero in tempo describes someone who is 'poor in time', meaning they are incredibly busy or rushed.
- The word povero was likely borrowed into Italian from Gallo-Italic languages, as the expected direct evolution from Latin would have been popere.
- Italian uses povero to describe something simple or meager, such as un povero pranzo to mean a 'scant' or 'bare' lunch.
Examples in context
- Tom non è povero.Tom isn't poor.This sentence is useful for stating that Tom is not poor.Tatoeba #4247433 by Guybrush88, translation #3171273 by CK
- Lei non è povero.You're not poor.This sentence is useful for stating that you are not poor.Tatoeba #4387257 by Guybrush88, translation #2218280 by CK
- È povero ma felice.He is poor, but happy.This sentence is useful for describing someone who is poor but happy.Tatoeba #638957 by rado, translation #486247 by minshirui
- Le sue condizioni di vita sono misereHer living conditions are poor
- L'intero villaggio è pieno di persone indigentiThe whole village is full of poor people
- Aiutiamo gli indigentiLet's help the poor
- Oh, poveraccio, ha davvero bisogno di aiuto!Oh, poor thing, he really needs help!
- 193 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Giulia and Lorenzo are talking about a character in a book.
- GiuliaIl protagonista è molto povero.The protagonist is very poor.
- LorenzoSì, non ha nemmeno una casa.Yes, he doesn't even have a house.
- GiuliaPerché è povero, Lorenzo?Why is he poor, Lorenzo?
- LorenzoHa perso tutto nel gioco.He lost everything in the game.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “poor” translations and entries povero, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries povero, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
