russare
/rusˈsa.re/
To snore in Italian is russare. If unsure, use russare. Wiktionary also lists ronfare.
Meaning: breathe during sleep with harsh noises (verb)
Ways to say it
| Italian | IPA |
|---|---|
| russare | /rusˈsa.re/ |
| ronfare | /ronˈfa.re/ |
The phrase refers to the act of breathing during sleep while making harsh noises.
Which one should you use?
russare is the most common and standard term used for to snore. ronfare is an informal or colloquial synonym.
How does it change in a sentence?
The gerund form of russare is russando (snoring), and its past participle is russato (snored).
How do you pronounce it?
The word is pronounced /rusˈsa.re/. It has 3 syllables, with the stress on the 2nd syllable.
Did you know?
- The word russare may not actually come from Latin, but from Lombardic, an ancient Germanic language spoken by people who settled in Italy during the Migration Period.
- In Italian, the act of snoring is often associated with the expression dormire come un ghiro, meaning to sleep like a hazel dormouse, implying a deep and heavy slumber.
- While russare is the standard term, ronfare is often used in literature to evoke a more comical or exaggerated sound of a heavy sleeper.
Examples in context
- Tom iniziò a russare.Tom began to snore.This sentence shows how to use russare to describe someone starting to snore.Tatoeba #3392490 by Guybrush88, translation #2647987 by CK
- Mio padre cominciò a russare.My father began to snore.This sentence demonstrates the use of russare when talking about a father snoring.Tatoeba #11570712 by Nuel, translation #9408084 by Nuel
- Mio padre russa molto rumorosamente durante la notte.My father snores very loudly during the night.
- 5 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Martina and Alessandro are waking up in the morning.
- MartinaAlessandro, hai passato tutta la notte a russare!Alessandro, you spent the whole night snoring!
- AlessandroDavvero? Non me ne sono accorto.Really? I didn't notice.
- MartinaSì, facevi un rumore incredibile.Yes, you were making an incredible noise.
- AlessandroScusa, forse sono solo molto stanco.Sorry, maybe I'm just very tired.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “snore” translations and entries russare, ronfare, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries ronfare, russare, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
