rosso
/ˈros.so/masculine
The English word "red" translates to rosso in Italian.
rosso is used as a noun to refer to the colour red. You can use the phrase Il colore rosso to emphasize that you are specifically referring to the colour. When describing a vivid, fiery shade, you can use Rosso fuoco and for a vibrant, lively red, use Rosso vivo. As an adjective, rosso means having red as its colour, but when describing hair, it specifically refers to an orange-brown or ginger shade. The word rubino can also be used to mean having red as its colour.
Meaning: colour (noun)
Which one should you use?
When describing hair, rosso indicates a reddish-orange or ginger tone rather than a deep crimson shade.
Related words
How does it change in a sentence?
In Italian, adjectives must agree in gender and number with the noun they describe. The masculine singular form is rosso. To agree with a feminine noun, use rossa, such as in la macchina rossa or la borsa rossa. For masculine plural nouns, the form changes to rossi, as seen in i vestiti rossi. For feminine plural nouns, use rosse.
How do you pronounce it?
The word has two syllables, with the stress on the first syllable: /ˈros.so/.
Did you know?
- The expression essere in rosso describes a financial situation where a person or company is in debt or has a negative bank balance.
- In some traditional Italian contexts, a filo rosso or 'red thread' is mentioned as a symbol of destiny and an invisible connection between two people.
- The word rosso is a direct descendant of the Latin word russus, which was used to describe the same vibrant shade.
Examples in context
- Il mio è rosso.Mine is red.This sentence uses rosso to show possession and color.Tatoeba #13269959 by Guybrush88, translation #8219999 by josivangoncalves
- Il cane è rosso.The dog is red.This sentence uses rosso to describe a dog.Tatoeba #1169232 by Guybrush88, translation #3354603 by LanguageExpert
- Il sole è rosso.The sun is red.This sentence uses rosso to describe the sun.Tatoeba #1238695 by Guybrush88, translation #477369 by BlueLagoon
- Ho una macchina rossa.I have a red car.
- Gli spaghetti alla carbonara sono rossi.Carbonara spaghetti are red.
- Il sole tramonta in un cielo rosso fuoco.The sun sets in a fiery red sky.
- 583 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Sofia and Matteo are looking at a new car in a showroom.
- SofiaGuarda Matteo, quel rosso è bellissimo!Look Matteo, that red is beautiful!
- MatteoSì Sofia, è un rosso molto elegante.Yes Sofia, it is a very elegant red.
- SofiaPreferisci il blu o il rosso?Do you prefer blue or red?
- MatteoPer me il rosso è meglio.For me, red is better.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “red” translations and entries rosso, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries rosso, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
