affrancatura
The Italian word for postage is affrancatura.
affrancatura refers specifically to the act of paying for the postage or the state of a letter being prepaid, rather than the physical stamps themselves. While 'affrancatura' refers to the postage charge or the process, francobollo is the specific word for the physical postage stamp.
Meaning: charge (noun)
What does it mean word for word?
The word is derived from the verb affrancare, which means to free or to release, but in a postal context, it refers to the act of 'releasing' a letter from its debt by paying the required fee.
Did you know?
- The root of affrancatura links postage to the concept of manumission, as the verb affrancare historically meant to liberate a slave or a person from bondage.
- The word francobollo for a stamp literally means 'free seal'. It was coined in the 19th century to describe a seal that 'freed' the sender from paying for the letter upon delivery.
- The term francobollo uses the suffix -bollo, which refers to a tax stamp or official seal, a term still used today for Italian vehicle registration taxes.
Examples in context
- Quale sarà l'affrancatura?What will the postage be?This sentence is useful for asking about the cost of the affrancatura.Tatoeba #9802519 by Guybrush88, translation #324565 by CM
- Devo ancora pagare le spese postali per questa lettera.I still have to pay the postage for this letter.
- La tariffa di spedizione per un pacco internazionale è piuttosto alta.The postage for an international package is quite high.
- Vuoi aiuto con l'affrancatura della tua posta?Do you need help with your postage?
- Ho dimenticato di attaccare il bollo alla lettera.I forgot to attach the postage to the letter.
- Devo comprare dei francobolli per l'affrancatura delle mie lettere.I need to buy some stamps for my postage.
- Le spese postali per spedire la cartolina all'estero sono aumentate.The postage to send the postcard abroad has increased.
- Controlla bene l'importo dell'affrancatura.Check the postage amount carefully.
Example conversation
Matteo and Giulia are at the post office.
- MatteoGiulia, quanto costa l'affrancatura per l'America?Giulia, how much is the postage for America?
- GiuliaCredo che siano tre euro, Matteo.I think it is three euros, Matteo.
- MatteoL'affrancatura è più cara di quanto pensassi.The postage is more expensive than I thought.
- GiuliaSì, le tariffe sono aumentate di nuovo.Yes, the rates have increased again.
Sources
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries affrancatura, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
