pugno
/ˈpuɲ.ɲo/masculine
The English word 'punch' can be translated into Italian as pugno.
pugno is a masculine noun referring to a hit or a strike delivered with one's fist. You can use the phrase colpo di pugno to describe the act of a punch or a blow delivered by a fist. To express the action of punching someone, you can use the related verbal expression dare un pugno (to strike someone with one's fist).
Meaning: a hit or a strike with one's fist (noun)
Related words
How does it change in a sentence?
The plural form of pugno is pugni.
How do you pronounce it?
The word is pronounced /ˈpuɲ.ɲo/. It has two syllables, and the stress is on the first syllable.
Did you know?
- The word pugno shares an ancient ancestor with the English word 'poke', both stemming from a root meaning 'to prick'.
- Italian uses pugno in the idiom un pugno di mosche, which literally means 'a fistful of flies' and implies achieving nothing.
- In Italian, the word pugno is used in the expression un pugno di voci, meaning 'a handful of voices'. This describes a situation where only a tiny minority of people hold a particular opinion.
Examples in context
- Gli ho mollato un pugno.I threw a punch at him.This sentence shows how to use pugno when describing throwing a punch.Tatoeba #11581522 by Nuel, translation #11581520 by Nuel
- Perché le ha dato un pugno?Why did you punch her?This sentence shows how to use pugno when asking why someone punched a woman.Tatoeba #5956759 by Guybrush88, translation #3910950 by CH
- Perché gli ha dato un pugno?Why did you punch him?This sentence shows how to use pugno when asking why someone punched a man.Tatoeba #5956755 by Guybrush88, translation #3910949 by CH
- 11 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Francesco and Chiara are discussing a scene from an action movie.
- FrancescoIl protagonista ha dato un pugno al cattivo.The protagonist gave a punch to the villain.
- ChiaraÈ stato un pugno molto potente.It was a very powerful punch.
- FrancescoSì, quel pugno ha deciso la battaglia.Yes, that punch decided the battle.
- ChiaraChe scena incredibile!What an incredible scene!
Sources
- Wiktionary, “punch” translations and entries pugno, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries pugno, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
