Ways to say it
| Italian | IPA | Note |
|---|---|---|
| rapina | /raˈpi.na/ | feminine |
| ruberia | feminine |
Both rapina and ruberia are feminine nouns used to describe the act of robbing. While rapina is the standard term, it specifically refers to a robbery involving force or violence. If you are talking about a theft where no force was used, the word furto is more appropriate. If a theft involves an assault or attack, the term aggressione may be used to describe the violence involved.
Which one should you use?
The term rapina implies that force or violence was used during the act. In contrast, the word furto is used for a theft committed without force.
How does it change in a sentence?
The verb form related to rapina is rapinare, which means 'to rob'.
How do you pronounce it?
The word is pronounced /raˈpi.na/. It has 3 syllables, with the stress on the 2nd syllable.
Did you know?
- Italian has a specific word scippo for a robbery where a bag or chain is snatched quickly from a pedestrian, which is distinct from a general rapina.
- The word rapina shares the same Latin root as the English word 'rapacious', describing someone who is aggressively greedy or grasping.
- While rapina describes the act, the word rapitore refers to a kidnapper, showing how the root of 'robbing' shifts to 'seizing' in different contexts.
Examples in context
- Tom sapeva della rapina.Tom knew about the robbery.This sentence shows how to use rapina to express knowledge of a robbery.Tatoeba #5114332 by Guybrush88, translation #5114220 by CK
- Lei partecipò alla rapina.She participated in the robbery.This sentence uses rapina to describe participation in a robbery.Tatoeba #5769718 by Guybrush88, translation #4512634 by Amastan
- Voglio che sembri una rapina.I want it to look like a robbery.This sentence uses rapina to describe something appearing to be a robbery.Tatoeba #1330531 by Guybrush88, translation #1330535 by CK
- La gioielleria ha subito un furto la scorsa notte.The jewelry store was robbed last night.
- Se da ragazzo hai rapinato una banca, raccontamelo!If you robbed a bank as a kid, tell me about it!
- 15 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Alessandro and Martina are discussing a news report in a cafe.
- AlessandroHai sentito della rapina al negozio?Did you hear about the robbery at the shop?
- MartinaSì, è stata una rapina terribile.Yes, it was a terrible robbery.
- AlessandroFortunatamente, Martina, non è successo vicino a noi.Fortunately, Martina, it didn't happen near us.
- MartinaÈ vero, Alessandro, siamo stati fortunati.That's true, Alessandro, we were lucky.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “robbery” translations and entries rapina, ruberia, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries rapina, ruberia, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
