coinquilino
/ko.in.kwiˈli.no/
The Italian word for roommate is coinquilino.
coinquilino refers to a person with whom you share an apartment or a house.
Meaning: US: with whom one shares an apartment or house (noun)
How does it change in a sentence?
The masculine form coinquilino changes to the feminine coinquilina to refer to a female roommate. When referring to a group of male roommates or a mixed-gender group, use the plural form coinquilini.
How do you pronounce it?
The pronunciation of coinquilino is /ko.in.kwiˈli.no/. It has 5 syllables, with the stress on the 4th syllable.
Did you know?
- The word inquilino is also used in biology to describe a 'commensal' organism that lives in the nest of another species without harming it.
- If you live with a romantic partner in a shared apartment, you would never call them your coinquilino, as that term implies a strictly platonic, non-romantic arrangement.
- In Italy, you might hear the term convivenza to describe the act of living with a coinquilino. While it translates to 'cohabitation', it is used for friends and students and does not exclusively imply a romantic relationship.
Examples in context
- Ziri era il coinquilino di Yazid.Ziri is Yazid's old roommate.This sentence is useful for identifying someone as an old roommate using coinquilino.Tatoeba #12467220 by michelaha, translation #10232401 by Amastan
- Tom ha rubato soldi al suo coinquilino.Tom stole money from his roommate.This sentence shows the word coinquilino in the context of a theft.Tatoeba #5209540 by madriot, translation #5208773 by Hybrid
- Tra tutti gli strumenti che il mio coinquilino poteva decidere di iniziare a studiare, scelse l'armonica.Out of all the instruments my roommate could decide to start learning, he chose the harmonica.This sentence uses coinquilino to describe a roommate's choice of musical instrument.Tatoeba #10634023 by Guybrush88, translation #10289733 by ddnktr
- Mario è il mio coinquilino.Mario is my roommate.
- 3 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Sofia and Alessandro are talking about house hunting in the city.
- SofiaCerchi un nuovo coinquilino?Are you looking for a new roommate?
- AlessandroSì, il mio coinquilino se ne va.Yes, my roommate is leaving.
- SofiaDevi trovare un bravo coinquilino presto.You need to find a good roommate soon.
- AlessandroSpero che il mio prossimo coinquilino sia tranquillo.I hope my next roommate is quiet.
Sources
- Pronunciation: Wiktionary entry coinquilino, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
