centro commerciale
/ˈt͡ʃɛn.tro kom.merˈt͡ʃa.le/word by wordmasculine
The Italian phrase for shopping centre is centro commerciale.
centro commerciale refers specifically to a large retail outlet or a shopping mall.
Meaning: large retail outlet (noun)
What does it mean word for word?
The phrase is composed of centro (center) and commerciale (commercial).
How does it change in a sentence?
To form the plural, both the noun and the adjective change to centri commerciali.
How do you pronounce it?
The word has 5 syllables and the stress is on the 1st syllable.
What mistakes should you avoid?
Avoid using centro commerciale to refer to a business district or a downtown area. In Italian, it refers specifically to a shopping mall or retail complex.
Did you know?
- The word centro originates from the Ancient Greek word κέντρον, which originally meant a 'sharp point' rather than a middle area.
- In Italian, the word commerciale is also used to describe a 'sales representative' (un commerciale), regardless of whether they work in a mall.
- Many Italians prefer shopping in a centro storico (historic center) over a centro commerciale because the former offers a traditional street-market atmosphere.
Examples in context
- Dov'è il centro commerciale più vicino?Where's the nearest shopping centre?This sentence is useful for asking for the location of the nearest centro commerciale.Tatoeba #5528586 by Guybrush88, translation #12062999 by sundown
- Lavora come vigilante in un centro commerciale.He works as a security guard in a shopping centre.This sentence is useful for describing a job held within a centro commerciale.Tatoeba #11576392 by Nuel, translation #11576391 by Nuel
- C'è un supermercato in questo centro commerciale?Is there a supermarket in this shopping centre?This sentence is useful for asking if a specific store exists inside a centro commerciale.Tatoeba #2685476 by Guybrush88, translation #11010907 by helloroto
- Mi scusi, dove si trova il centro commerciale più vicino?Excuse me, where is the nearest shopping centre?
- Non vedo l'ora di andare al centro commerciale!I can't wait to go to the shopping centre!
- 1 more sentence on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Chiara and Matteo are deciding where to go for the weekend.
- ChiaraAndiamo al centro commerciale oggi?Shall we go to the shopping centre today?
- MatteoSì, vorrei comprare delle scarpe nuove.Yes, I would like to buy some new shoes.
- ChiaraPerfetto, il centro commerciale è molto grande.Perfect, the shopping centre is very large.
- MatteoAllora ci vediamo tra un'ora.Then I will see you in an hour.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “shopping centre” translations and entries centro commerciale, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- IPA marked “word by word” joins the Wiktionary pronunciations of each word (centro, commerciale) and can differ in connected speech.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries centro, commerciale, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
