Ways to say it
| Italian | IPA | Note |
|---|---|---|
| stesso | /ˈstes.so/ (Standard) /ˈstɛs.so/ (Milan) |
|
| medesimo | /meˈde.zi.mo/ /meˈdɛ.zi.mo/ |
masculine |
The word stesso is used as an adjective to mean identical or not different regarding itself. It can also function as a pronoun to mean 'the identical thing'. Idiomatically, the phrase lo stesso can mean 'the same thing'. Another useful phrase is lo stesso di to indicate that something is the same as something else. Note that if you want to say 'likewise', you should use the word altrettanto.
Which one should you use?
While stesso is the standard word for 'same', medesimo is a more formal or literary synonym that is used less frequently in everyday spoken Italian.
Related words
How does it change in a sentence?
As an adjective, stesso must agree in gender and number with the noun it modifies. The forms are stessa (feminine singular), stessi (masculine plural) and stesse (feminine plural). The form medesimo is specifically masculine.
How do you pronounce it?
The word is pronounced /ˈstes.so/. It has two syllables, with the stress on the first syllable.
Did you know?
- The word stesso is actually a combination of two different Latin words, istum meaning 'that' and ipsum meaning 'himself'.
- In Italian, stesso can be used as an intensifying adjective to mean 'very' or 'actual', such as in lo stesso giorno meaning 'that very day'.
- While English uses 'same' for both identity and similarity, Italian strictly separates stesso from words like simile to avoid confusion between 'identical' and 'similar'.
Examples in context
- Non è lo stesso.It's not the same.This sentence shows how to use stesso to say something is not the same.Tatoeba #2522527 by Guybrush88, translation #2006476 by Spamster
- Tom è lo stesso.Tom is the same.This sentence uses stesso to describe a person as being the same.Tatoeba #7727073 by Guybrush88, translation #2273554 by CK
- È lo stesso tipo?Is that the same guy?This sentence uses stesso to ask if a person is the same one mentioned before.Tatoeba #6445127 by Guybrush88, translation #1886900 by CK
- Luisa e Laura hanno lo stesso vestito.Luisa and Laura have the same dress.
- Marco e Giulio hanno le stesse scarpe.Marco and Giulio have the same shoes.
- Stessa cosa per me!Same here!
- Altrettanto!Likewise!
- Il mio vestito è lo stesso del tuo.My dress is the same as yours.
- 532 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Alessandro and Chiara are ordering food at a restaurant.
- AlessandroIo prendo una pizza Margherita.I'll have a Margherita pizza.
- ChiaraPrendo lo stesso piatto, per favore.I'll have the same dish, please.
- AlessandroVuoi anche l'acqua naturale?Do you want still water too?
- ChiaraSì, lo stesso ordine per entrambi.Yes, the same order for both of us.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “same” translations and entries stesso, medesimo, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries medesimo, stesso, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
