posticipa
The Italian word for snooze is posticipa.
The verb posticipa is used to express the act of sleeping, specifically in the context of taking a brief sleep or a nap. Alternatively, the informal term pennichella can be used to refer specifically to a catnap or a power nap.
Meaning: To sleep, especially briefly, to nap (verb)
Did you know?
- In many parts of Italy, the traditional afternoon 'snooze' is part of the riposo, a period when shops close and the entire country slows down.
- The word posticipa actually means 'to postpone' or 'to delay' in general contexts. Using it for a snooze button treats the sleep as a scheduled event being pushed back rather than the act of sleeping itself.
- If you want to say you are taking a 'snooze' after a heavy lunch, you might use the phrase fare un pisolino, which evokes the image of a small, light sleep.
Examples in context
- Dopo quell'intenso incontro, mi concedo di dormire un po'.After that intense meeting, I allow myself to snooze for a bit.
- Una breve pennichella dopo pranzo mi darà il giusto sprint per finire il lavoro.A short snooze after lunch will give me the right boost to finish the job.
Example conversation
Martina and Francesco are waking up in the morning.
- MartinaFrancesco, svegliati! È tardi.Francesco, wake up! It's late.
- FrancescoAncora cinque minuti, posticipa la sveglia.Five more minutes, snooze the alarm.
- MartinaNon puoi farlo ancora oggi.You can't do that again today.
- FrancescoOk, mi alzo subito.Ok, I'm getting up right now.
