How to Say "Shell" in Italian

conchiglia

/konˈkiʎ.ʎa/feminine

The English word shell is translated into Italian as conchiglia.

conchiglia refers to the hard calcareous or chitinous external covering of many invertebrates.

Meaning: hard calcareous or chitinous external covering of many invertebrates (noun)

Which one should you use?

While conchiglia refers to the shell of a mollusk, it is not used for the shell of an egg (uovo) or a nut (guscio).

The plural form of conchiglia is conchiglie.

The word has 3 syllables, with the stress on the 2nd syllable. The IPA pronunciation is /konˈkiʎ.ʎa/.

In Italian cooking, conchiglie refers specifically to a type of pasta shaped like shells. Because of this, the word is often encountered in menus before it is seen on a beach.
Some Italian regions use the word conchiglia metaphorically to describe certain types of architectural vaults or domes that mimic the curvature of a shell.
The word conchiglia shares the same linguistic ancestor as the English word 'conch'.

La conchiglia ha un guscio delicato.
The seashell has a delicate shell.
La riva era adornata di conchiglie di varie forme e colori.
The shore was adorned with seashells of various shapes and colors.
Mio nonno mi ha regalato una scodella con una conchiglietta dentro.
My grandfather gave me a small bowl with a little seashell inside.
Ho trovato una conchiglia bianca sulla sabbia.
I found a white shell on the sand.
Guarda questa grande conchiglia colorata.
Look at this large, colorful shell.
La conchiglia è rimasta sulla riva.
The shell remained on the shore.

Sofia and Matteo are walking along the beach.

Sofia

Matteo, guarda che bella conchiglia!
Matteo, look what a beautiful shell!
Matteo

È bellissima, Sofia, portala con te.
It is beautiful, Sofia, take it with you.
Sofia

Ne voglio cercare altre sulla spiaggia.
I want to look for more on the beach.
Matteo

Possiamo farlo insieme dopo il bagno.
We can do it together after swimming.

Sources

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