povertà
/po.verˈta/feminine
The English word "poverty" is translated into Italian as povertà.
povertà is a noun used to describe the quality or state of being poor in a general sense.
Meaning: quality or state of being poor (noun)
What does it mean word for word?
The word is formed by taking the adjective povero (poor) and adding the suffix -tà, which creates an abstract noun similar to the English suffix "-ty".
How does it change in a sentence?
povertà is a feminine noun. Because of this, any articles or adjectives used to accompany it must also be in the feminine form.
How do you pronounce it?
The word has 3 syllables and the stress is on the 3rd syllable: /po.verˈta/.
Did you know?
- In religious contexts, povertà is often viewed as a spiritual virtue known as 'evangelical poverty', which is a deliberate choice rather than a misfortune.
- While English speakers use 'poverty' as an abstract noun, Italians sometimes use the expression fare il povero to mean 'to act poor' or 'to play the victim'.
- While povertà describes financial lack, Italians use the adjective povero in a completely different way to express pity or sympathy for someone, such as saying poverino to mean 'poor thing'.
Examples in context
- Lui crebbe in povertà.He grew up in poverty.This sentence is useful for describing the circumstances in which someone grew up using povertà.Tatoeba #3602498 by Guybrush88, translation #2721706 by Amastan
- Io vissi nella povertà.I lived in poverty.This sentence is useful for describing a past state of living in povertà.Tatoeba #1979239 by Guybrush88, translation #1979236 by CM
- La povertà è dappertutto.Poverty is everywhere.This sentence is useful for stating that povertà is widespread.Tatoeba #4530828 by Guybrush88, translation #4494613 by CK
- La povertà è un problema globale.Poverty is a global problem.
- Il governo sta cercando di combattere la povertà.The government is trying to combat poverty.
- La povertà può avere un impatto significativo sulla società.Poverty can have a significant impact on society.
- Sono nella miseria più totale.I am in complete poverty.
- Abbiamo poca moneta in tasca.We have little money in our pockets.
- 50 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Sofia and Alessandro are discussing a documentary about global issues.
- SofiaQuesto film parla della povertà nel mondo.This movie talks about poverty in the world.
- AlessandroSì, è un problema molto grave.Yes, it is a very serious problem.
- SofiaDobbiamo fare qualcosa per combattere la povertà.We must do something to fight poverty.
- AlessandroHai ragione, Sofia, dobbiamo aiutarli.You are right, Sofia, we must help them.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “poverty” translations and entries povertà, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
