raggio
/ˈrad.d͡ʒo/masculine
The Italian word for radius is raggio.
raggio is used to refer to the length of a line segment. To express the distance or area within a certain radius, you use the phrase in un raggio di.
Meaning: length of this line segment (noun)
What does it mean word for word?
Literally, raggio means 'ray', such as a ray of light.
How does it change in a sentence?
The plural form of raggio is raggi.
How do you pronounce it?
/ˈrad.dʒo/. The word has 2 syllables and the stress is on the first syllable.
Did you know?
- The Italian word raggio is a linguistic relative of the English word 'radio', as both share a common ancestor in the Latin word for 'ray'.
- In Italian, the word raggio is used to describe both the mathematical radius of a circle and a single spoke of a bicycle wheel.
- The word raggio can also be used metaphorically in Italian to describe a person, such as 'un raggio di luce', meaning a 'ray of light' or a person who brings hope.
Examples in context
- Il suo miagolio incessante allarmò ogni cane in un raggio di 500 piedi.Her ceaseless caterwauling alarmed every dog within a 500-foot radius.This sentence is useful for seeing how to use raggio to describe a distance or area.Tatoeba #3369955 by Guybrush88, translation #710366 by papabear
- Il raggio del cerchio è di 5 centimetri.The radius of the circle is 5 centimeters.
- Dobbiamo calcolare il raggio di un cerchio.We need to calculate the radius of a circle.
- Quella sfera ha un raggio di 10 metri.That sphere has a radius of 10 meters.
- Il raggio del cerchio è di dieci centimetri.The radius of the circle is ten centimeters.
- Devi misurare il raggio per il disegno.You must measure the radius for the drawing.
- 1 more sentence on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Francesco and Martina are studying geometry together.
- FrancescoMartina, sai dove si trova il raggio in questo disegno?Martina, do you know where the radius is in this drawing?
- MartinaSì, Francesco, è la linea che va dal centro al bordo.Yes, Francesco, it is the line that goes from the center to the edge.
- FrancescoQuindi il raggio misura esattamente cinque centimetri.So the radius measures exactly five centimeters.
- MartinaEsatto, ora possiamo finire l'esercizio.Exactly, now we can finish the exercise.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “radius” translations and entries raggio, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries raggio, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
