calcio
/ˈkal.t͡ʃo/masculine
Soccer in Italian is calcio.
In Italy, calcio refers specifically to association football. To describe a person who plays the sport, you would use the term calciatore.
Meaning: game (noun)
What does it mean word for word?
The word calcio literally means kick.
Which one should you use?
While calcio refers to soccer, you should use the term calcio americano if you want to distinguish the sport as American football.
How does it change in a sentence?
When talking about the sport in a general sense, such as saying "I love soccer", you must use the definite article: il calcio.
How do you pronounce it?
/ˈkal.tʃo/. It has 2 syllables, with the stress on the 1st syllable.
Did you know?
- The word calcio is a homonym, meaning it can refer to the sport of soccer or the chemical element 'calcium'.
- Long before the modern game, Calcio Storico was a violent version of the sport played in Florence with few rules and physical combat.
- In Italian, the 'stock' of a rifle or gun is called il calcio, because it is the part of the weapon pressed against the shoulder.
Examples in context
- Il calcio è così.Soccer is like that.This sentence shows how to use calcio to describe the nature of the sport.Tatoeba #12256155 by Guybrush88, translation #9821497 by DJ_Saidez
- È bravo a calcio.He's good at soccer.This sentence demonstrates how to say someone is good at calcio.Tatoeba #13278347 by Guybrush88, translation #12912759 by Conjuice
- Io odio il calcio.I hate soccer.This sentence shows how to express a personal feeling toward calcio.Tatoeba #1634979 by Guybrush88, translation #1634982 by CK
- Sono un grande appassionato di calcio.I am a huge soccer fan.
- Domani giocano a calcetto. Vuoi unirti?They're playing mini soccer tomorrow. Do you want to join?
- 554 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Matteo and Chiara are talking about their hobbies.
- MatteoTi piace guardare il calcio in tv?Do you like watching soccer on TV?
- ChiaraNo, preferisco giocare a tennis.No, I prefer playing tennis.
- MatteoPeccato, il calcio è lo sport più bello.Too bad, soccer is the most beautiful sport.
- ChiaraPer me non è così, Matteo.For me it is not like that, Matteo.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “soccer” translations and entries calcio, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
