Ways to say it
| Italian | IPA | Note |
|---|---|---|
| pupazzo di neve | /puˈpat.t͡so di ˈne.ve/ (word by word) | masculine |
| fantoccio di neve | /fanˈtɔt.t͡ʃo di ˈne.ve/ (word by word) | masculine |
| omino di neve | masculine | |
| uomo di neve | /ˈwɔ.mo di ˈne.ve/ (word by word) | masculine |
What does it mean word for word?
The phrase pupazzo di neve literally translates to "puppet of snow" or "doll of snow".
Which one should you use?
While pupazzo di neve is the common, idiomatic way to refer to a snowman, uomo di neve is a literal translation of "snow man". If you are describing a small snowman or speaking to children, you might use omino di neve, which utilizes the diminutive suffix -ino to mean "little snow man". For an informal way to say "big snow guy" or "big snowman", you can use omaccione di neve.
Is there a formal and an informal way to say it?
Fantoccio di neve is a more literary or archaic term and is less common in daily conversation. Omaccione di neve is an informal expression.
How does it change in a sentence?
All provided forms for snowman are masculine nouns.
How do you pronounce it?
The word has 5 syllables, and the stress is on the 2nd syllable.
Did you know?
- The word pupazzo shares a linguistic root with the English word 'few', coming from the Proto-Indo-European root *peh₂w- meaning 'little'.
- While pupazzo di neve is the standard term, the word pupazzo is also used for any soft toy or stuffed animal.
Examples in context
- Feci un pupazzo di neve.I made a snowman.This sentence is useful for practicing the past tense with pupazzo di neve.Tatoeba #5700159 by Guybrush88, translation #3820744 by CK
- Facciamo un pupazzo di neve.Let's make a snowman.This sentence is useful for practicing the imperative/suggestion form with pupazzo di neve.Tatoeba #5405546 by dnnywld, translation #5395477 by CK
- Sto facendo un pupazzo di neve.I'm making a snowman.This sentence is useful for practicing the continuous present tense with pupazzo di neve.Tatoeba #5700168 by Guybrush88, translation #3820743 by CK
- Oggi abbiamo costruito un bellissimo pupazzo di neve nel parco.Today we built a beautiful snowman in the park.
- Guarda che omaccione di neve ha fatto Marco!Look at the big snow guy Marco made!
- 30 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Giulia and Lorenzo are playing outside in the snow.
- GiuliaGuarda quel bellissimo pupazzo di neve!Look at that beautiful snowman!
- LorenzoSì, è davvero grande, Giulia.Yes, it is really big, Giulia.
- GiuliaPossiamo fare un pupazzo di neve anche noi?Can we make a snowman too?
- LorenzoCertamente, iniziamo subito!Certainly, let's start right away!
Sources
- Wiktionary, “snowman” translations and entries pupazzo di neve, fantoccio di neve, omino di neve, uomo di neve, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- IPA marked “word by word” joins the Wiktionary pronunciations of each word (pupazzo, di, neve, fantoccio, uomo) and can differ in connected speech.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries di, fantoccio, neve, omino, pupazzo, uomo, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
