fiume
/ˈfju.me/masculine
The English word 'river' is translated into Italian as fiume. Wiktionary also lists rivo.
Meaning: large stream which drains a landmass (noun)
Ways to say it
| Italian | IPA | Note |
|---|---|---|
| fiume | /ˈfju.me/ | masculine |
| rivo | /ˈri.vo/ | masculine |
The term refers to a large stream which drains a landmass.
Which one should you use?
While fiume refers to a large river, rivo is a more poetic or literary term used for a small stream or brook.
How does it change in a sentence?
The plural form of fiume is fiumi. Both fiume and rivo are masculine nouns.
How do you pronounce it?
fiume is pronounced /ˈfju.me/. It has two syllables, and the stress is on the first syllable.
Did you know?
- The Latin root 'flūmen' evolved into fiume, but it also gave rise to the English word 'fluent', as both describe the flowing nature of water and speech.
- Italian distinguishes between a fiume and a torrente, where a torrente is a stream that may dry up during the summer.
- The word fiume is a direct descendant of the Latin flūmen, which is also the root of the English word 'flume'.
Examples in context
- Il fiume è alto.The river is high.The first sentence is useful for describing the height of the fiume.Tatoeba #11110696 by Guybrush88, translation #6116751 by Hybrid
- Il fiume è largo.The river is wide.The second sentence is useful for describing the width of the fiume.Tatoeba #967824 by Guybrush88, translation #45748 by CK
- Il fiume è lungo.The river is long.The third sentence is useful for describing the length of the fiume.Tatoeba #2178171 by Guybrush88, translation #2178173 by DJ_Saidez
- Il Po è uno dei fiumi più lunghi d'Italia.The Po is one of the longest rivers in Italy.
- Il corso d'acqua attraversa la città.The river runs through the city.
- Ho trovato un fiumiciattolo nel bosco.I found a tiny river in the woods.
- Lungo il fiume, troverai molti ristoranti accoglienti.Along the river, you will find many cozy restaurants.
- Cerchiamo sempre di mantenere pulito il corso d'acqua.We always try to keep the watercourse clean.
- 552 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Chiara and Lorenzo are looking at a map of Italy.
- ChiaraQuale fiume attraversa questa città?Which river flows through this city?
- LorenzoÈ il fiume Po, il più grande d'Italia.It is the Po river, the largest in Italy.
- ChiaraPossiamo fare un giro in barca sul fiume?Can we take a boat trip on the river?
- LorenzoSì, Chiara, è un'idea bellissima.Yes, Chiara, that is a wonderful idea.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “river” translations and entries fiume, rivo, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries fiume, rivo, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
