nandù
/nanˈdu/masculine
The English word "rhea" (referring to the flightless bird) is translated into Italian as nandù.
The term is used to refer to the flightless bird.
Meaning: flightless bird (noun)
Which one should you use?
While English speakers call this bird a rhea, in Italian, the correct term is nandù. Additionally, the word Rea is a related form used as the name of the moon.
Related words
How does it change in a sentence?
The word nandù is a masculine noun.
How do you pronounce it?
/nanˈdu/
Did you know?
- The Italian word nandù is borrowed from the Guaraní language of South America rather than from Latin or Greek.
- In Italian, the word rhea is almost never used for the bird and is instead recognized as the name of the Greek Titaness or the moon of Saturn.
- Unlike many Italian nouns ending in vowels, nandù maintains a strong stress on the final syllable, marked by the accent over the ù.
Examples in context
- Buongiorno, Signora Rhea. Come posso aiutarla oggi?Good morning, Mrs. Rhea. How can I assist you today?
- Ciao Rhea! Hai voglia di uscire stasera?Hi Rhea! Do you feel like going out tonight?
- Il nandù corre molto velocemente.The rhea runs very fast.
- Ho visto un nandù allo zoo.I saw a rhea at the zoo.
- Il nandù ha un collo lungo.The rhea has a long neck.
Example conversation
Sofia and Francesco are visiting a zoo.
- SofiaGuarda, Francesco, che cos'è quell'animale?Look, Francesco, what is that animal?
- FrancescoCredo che sia un nandù.I think it is a rhea.
- SofiaÈ simile a uno struzzo, vero?It's similar to an ostrich, right?
- FrancescoSì, ma il nandù è più piccolo.Yes, but the rhea is smaller.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “rhea” translations and entries nandù, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
