chinino
/kiˈni.no/
The English word quinine is chinino in Italian.
chinino refers to the alkaloid used to treat malaria.
Meaning: alkaloid used to treat malaria (noun)
How do you pronounce it?
The word has three syllables with the stress on the second syllable: /kiˈni.no/. Note that the word starts with ch, which in Italian represents the /k/ sound, unlike the English 'qu' sound.
Did you know?
- The term chinino refers to the active ingredient in acqua tonica (tonic water). Historically, the British Empire popularized tonic water as a way to make the bitter taste of chinino palatable for soldiers in tropical colonies.
- The Italian phrase amaro (bitter) is the primary sensory descriptor used when discussing the taste of chinino. This taste profile is so prized in Italy that it led to the creation of a whole category of bitter herbal liqueurs.
- The word chinino shares a root with the Spanish quina, referring to the cinchona tree. This highlights how Southern European languages adopted the term from South American indigenous sources.
Examples in context
- L'acqua tonica contiene chinino.Tonic water contains quinine.Tatoeba #13074136 by Guybrush88, translation #12365141 by Miktsoanit
- Vorrei comprare del chinino per preparare una bevanda analcolica.I would like to buy some quinine to make a non-alcoholic drink.
- Il chinino è un componente importante in alcuni farmaci contro la malaria.Quinine is an important component in some malaria drugs.
- Il medico ha prescritto il chinino per la febbre.The doctor prescribed quinine for the fever.
- Questo vecchio rimedio a base di chinino è efficace.This old quinine-based remedy is effective.
Example conversation
Giulia and Francesco are packing for a trip to Africa.
- GiuliaFrancesco, hai preso il chinino per noi?Francesco, did you take the quinine for us?
- FrancescoSì, Giulia, è nella mia borsa.Yes, Giulia, it is in my bag.
- GiuliaBene, non possiamo dimenticarlo.Good, we cannot forget it.
- FrancescoNon preoccuparti, siamo pronti.Don't worry, we are ready.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “quinine” translations and entries chinino, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
