pubertà
/pu.berˈta/feminine
The English word "puberty" is pubertà in Italian.
pubertà is a feminine noun referring to the age at which a person is first capable of sexual reproduction.
Meaning: age at which a person is first capable of sexual reproduction (noun)
How does it change in a sentence?
Because the noun is feminine, it is used with the feminine definite article la to form la pubertà.
How do you pronounce it?
pubertà is pronounced /pu.berˈta/. It has three syllables, and the stress is on the third syllable.
Did you know?
- In historical Italian medical texts, pubertà was sometimes referred to as a 'crisis' of the body. This reflected the old belief that the sudden hormonal shifts were a dangerous imbalance of bodily humors.
- The word pubertà shares a root with the English word 'pubescent'. Both stem from the Latin word for 'downy' or 'bearded', describing the soft hair of youth.
- Italian poets often use the word fiorire, meaning 'to bloom', as a metaphor for pubertà. This imagery links the biological change to the opening of a flower in springtime.
Examples in context
- Molti ragazzi si misurano il pene durante la pubertà.Many guys measure their penis during puberty.This sentence shows how to use pubertà when discussing biological changes in boys.Tatoeba #13855014 by Nuel, translation #13855013 by Nuel
- Dal punto di vista sociale, il menarca è in genere considerato l'evento centrale della pubertà femminile – ma il menarca non segnala necessariamente che l'ovulazione abbia iniziato ad avvenire.From a social perspective, menarche is typically considered the central event of female puberty – but menarche does not necessarily signal that ovulation has begun occurring.This sentence uses pubertà to discuss the social perspective of female biological events.Tatoeba #3317143 by Guybrush88, translation #3152366 by Vanilla
- L'adolescenza è la fase compresa tra la pubertà e l'adulterio.Adolescence is the stage between puberty and adultery.This sentence uses pubertà to define the stage of adolescence.Tatoeba #13570732 by carlosalberto, translation #3149533 by carlosalberto
Example conversation
Two friends are discussing human development in a biology class.
- ChiaraLa pubertà inizia in tempi diversi per tutti.Puberty starts at different times for everyone.
- LorenzoSì, è un processo molto naturale.Yes, it is a very natural process.
- ChiaraLorenzo, hai studiato le fasi della pubertà?Lorenzo, did you study the stages of puberty?
- LorenzoSì, Chiara, le ho appena lette sul libro.Yes, Chiara, I just read them in the book.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “puberty” translations and entries pubertà, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
