scialle
/ˈʃal.le/masculine
The English word for 'shawl' is scialle in Italian.
scialle refers to a square piece of cloth worn as a covering for the head, neck and shoulders. While sciarpa is the primary word for 'scarf', it is sometimes used to refer to a shawl.
Meaning: a square piece of cloth worn as a covering for the head, neck, and shoulders (noun)
Which one should you use?
The word stola is another term for a shawl, though it carries a more formal connotation than scialle.
How does it change in a sentence?
The plural form of scialle is scialli. Because scialle is a masculine noun starting with 's + consonant', the articulated preposition used with it is dello rather than del.
How do you pronounce it?
The word is pronounced /ˈʃal.le/. It has two syllables, and the stress is on the first syllable.
Did you know?
- The word scialle traveled a long distance to reach Italian, originating from the Hindi word शाल (śāl) via Persian and French.
- In traditional Italian opera and theater, a scialle draped over the head and shoulders is often a visual shorthand used by costume designers to signal that a character is a woman of modest means or a peasant.
- In Italian culture, the scialle is often associated with the 'nonna' (grandmother) figure, symbolizing maternal care and traditional modesty.
Examples in context
- Si tolse lo scialle.She took the shawl off.This sentence shows the use of scialle when someone removes it.Tatoeba #2452236 by Guybrush88, translation #1635374 by Amastan
- Mia nonna indossa uno scialle.My grandmother wears a shawl.This sentence shows how someone might wear scialle.Tatoeba #9550533 by Guybrush88, translation #8345983 by Cxom
- Comprò uno scialle per sua madre.He bought a shawl for his mother.This sentence shows the act of purchasing scialle for someone else.Tatoeba #9550528 by Guybrush88, translation #7387024 by CH
- Mi piace il tuo scialleI like your shawl
- La tua stola è molto eleganteYour shawl is very elegant
- Ho trovato un carinissimo coprispalle nel negozio ieriI found a cute shawl in the store yesterday
- 24 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Chiara and Alessandro are getting ready to go out for a walk in the evening.
- ChiaraPrendo lo scialle per la sera.I'll take the shawl for the evening.
- AlessandroSì, fa un po' freddo fuori.Yes, it is a bit cold outside.
- ChiaraHai visto il mio scialle blu?Have you seen my blue shawl?
- AlessandroÈ sul divano, Chiara.It is on the sofa, Chiara.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “shawl” translations and entries scialle, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries scialle, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
