riposo
/riˈpɔ.zo/masculine
In Italian, the English phrase 'rest' is translated as riposo.
Riposo is a masculine noun used to describe relief from exertion or a state of quiet and recreation. It can refer to physical recuperation from exertion or a scheduled break or period of quiet. You can use related verbs such as riposare or riposarsi to describe the action of resting, including specific expressions like riposare la mente (to rest one's mind) or riposare gli occhi (to rest one's eyes).
Meaning: relief from exertion, state of quiet and recreation (noun)
Which one should you use?
Riposo is the noun meaning 'rest', whereas riposare or riposarsi are the verbs used to express the action of resting.
Related words
How does it change in a sentence?
To express the act of taking a rest for oneself, the reflexive verb riposarsi is the most common choice. For example, when you want to say 'I am resting' in a personal sense, you would use mi riposo.
How do you pronounce it?
The word is pronounced /riˈpɔ.zo/. It has three syllables and the stress is on the second syllable.
Did you know?
- If you want to describe a 'rest' as in a 'remainder' or 'the rest of the items', you should not use riposo but rather resto.
- The noun riposo can sometimes be used euphemistically in formal settings to refer to 'eternal rest', a polite way of speaking about death.
- In Italy, you might encounter the term riposo pomeridiano, which refers to the cultural tradition of the afternoon break, similar to the Spanish 'siesta'.
Examples in context
- Riposo il mio caso.I rest my case.This sentence shows the use of riposo in a legal or argumentative context.Tatoeba #3399456 by Guybrush88, translation #3399449 by Hybrid
- Ha bisogno di riposo.He needs rest.This sentence shows the noun riposo used to express a need for rest.Tatoeba #8778192 by Guybrush88, translation #8477023 by CH
- La domenica mi riposo.On Sundays I rest.This sentence demonstrates the verb form used for a personal routine.Tatoeba #2578449 by Guybrush88, translation #875829 by CM
- Mi scuso, ma ho bisogno di un po' di riposoExcuse me, but I need a bit of rest.
- 39 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Martina and Alessandro are relaxing in a park after a long hike.
- MartinaAlessandro, hai bisogno di riposo?Alessandro, do you need some rest?
- AlessandroSì, sono molto stanco.Yes, I am very tired.
- MartinaAllora sediamoci un momento.Then let's sit down for a moment.
- AlessandroGrazie, questo riposo mi serve proprio.Thanks, I really need this rest.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “rest” translations and entries riposo, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
