palla di neve
/ˈpal.la di ˈne.ve/word by wordfeminine
The Italian word for "snowball" is palla di neve.
palla di neve is a feminine noun used to refer to the physical object made of snow.
Meaning: ball of snow (noun)
What does it mean word for word?
The phrase is composed of palla (ball), di (of) and neve (snow).
How does it change in a sentence?
While palla di neve refers to the object itself, pallata di neve is often used to refer to the act of throwing a snowball.
How do you pronounce it?
The pronunciation is /ˈpal.la di ˈne.ve/. It consists of 4 syllables, with the stress on the first syllable.
Did you know?
- If someone says non hai palle, they are not talking about snowballs, but are suggesting that you lack the courage or 'guts' to do something.
- The word palla is also used in the idiom essere in palla, which means to be stressed, confused, or in a frantic state.
- The word palla in palla di neve shares a common ancestor with the English word 'bubble'. Both come from a root meaning 'to blow' or 'to swell'.
Examples in context
- Mi lanciò una palla di neve.He threw a snowball at me.Tatoeba #9734767 by Guybrush88, translation #9718349 by ariarin
- Gli lanciò una palla di neve.She threw a snowball at him.Tatoeba #10566371 by Guybrush88, translation #8516372 by CH
- Tom lanciò una palla di neve a Mary.Tom threw a snowball at Mary.Tatoeba #2823186 by Guybrush88, translation #2821369 by CK
- Nel cortile, i bambini si divertono a fare palle di neve.In the courtyard, the children have fun making snowballs.
- Oggi abbiamo fatto una mega palla di neve! Che divertimento!Today we made a huge snowball! What fun!
- Lanciò una palla di neve sul suo amico.He threw a snowball at his friend.
- 3 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Matteo and Giulia are playing outside in the snow.
- MatteoGiulia, guarda la mia palla di neve!Giulia, look at my snowball!
- GiuliaÈ bellissima, Matteo.It is beautiful, Matteo.
- MatteoVuoi che ti lanci una palla di neve?Do you want me to throw a snowball at you?
- GiuliaNo, non voglio essere colpita!No, I don't want to be hit!
Sources
- Wiktionary, “snowball” translations and entries palla di neve, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- IPA marked “word by word” joins the Wiktionary pronunciations of each word (palla, di, neve) and can differ in connected speech.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries di, neve, palla, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
