foca
/ˈfɔ.ka/feminine
The Italian word for the animal seal is foca. Wiktionary also lists otaria.
Meaning: pinniped (noun)
Ways to say it
| Italian | IPA | Note |
|---|---|---|
| foca | /ˈfɔ.ka/ | feminine |
| otaria | feminine |
In Italian, these terms refer to pinnipeds. Foca is the general term for a true seal, while otaria is used for more specific types of pinnipeds.
Which one should you use?
Foca is the general term for a true seal. In contrast, otaria specifically refers to a sea lion or a fur seal.
Related words
How does it change in a sentence?
The feminine noun foca becomes foche in the plural. The feminine noun otaria becomes otarie in the plural.
How do you pronounce it?
foca is pronounced /ˈfɔ.ka/. The stress is on the first of the two syllables.
What mistakes should you avoid?
English speakers often mistakenly use foca when they mean a wax seal, a stamp or a seal of approval. For a physical seal or an emblem, use sigillo instead.
Did you know?
- The word foca is a linguistic relative of the French word phoque, which sounds exactly like the English profanity.
- The word otaria comes from the Ancient Greek word for 'little ear'. This describes the visible external ear flaps that sea lions have but true seals do not.
- While sigillo is the word for a physical seal, the Italian expression mettere il sigillo means to put the final touch on something or to finalize an agreement.
Examples in context
- Immagina la foca.Imagine the seal.This sentence uses foca to describe the animal.Tatoeba #1648866 by Guybrush88, translation #10268988 by glossboss
- La foca è un animale affascinante.The seal is a fascinating animal.
- Gli studiosi stanno studiando il comportamento del pinnipede.Researchers are studying the behavior of the seal.
- La foca nuota nell'acqua gelata.The seal swims in the freezing water.
- Abbiamo visto una foca sulla spiaggia.We saw a seal on the beach.
Example conversation
Chiara and Francesco are looking at a nature documentary on TV.
- ChiaraGuarda quella foca bianca!Look at that white seal!
- FrancescoÈ bellissima, Chiara.She is beautiful, Chiara.
- ChiaraSembra molto tranquilla.She seems very calm.
- FrancescoSì, riposa sulla neve.Yes, she is resting on the snow.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “seal” translations and entries foca, otaria, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries foca, otaria, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
