metro quadrato
/ˈmɛ.tro kwaˈdra.to/word by word
The English phrase 'square meter' is translated into Italian as metro quadrato.
The term is used to denote a unit of area equal to the area of a square with sides of one meter. In written Italian, you will frequently see the abbreviation mq used to represent this unit.
What does it mean word for word?
The phrase is composed of metro, meaning 'meter' and quadrato, meaning 'square'.
How does it change in a sentence?
When expressing the plural 'square meters', both the noun and the adjective must change to metri quadrati.
Did you know?
- In Italian, the word metro is a homonym that also refers to the 'subway' or 'metro' system, as it is a shortened form of metropolitana.
- While metro quadrato is the official unit, Italian real estate listings often use the term superficie calpestabile to describe the actual walkable 'square meterage' of a home.
- In Italian real estate listings, you might see the term superficie used instead of area when describing the size of a home in metri quadrati.
Examples in context
- La superficie dell'appartamento è di 80 metri quadrati.The apartment has an area of 80 square meters.
- Questo spazio ha solo dieci metri quadri.This space is only ten square meters.
- Sto cercando un appartamento con almeno 50 metri quadrati di spazio.I'm looking for an apartment with at least 50 square meters of space.
- Ogni metro quadrato costa molto.Every square meter costs a lot.
- Abbiamo bisogno di un metro quadrato di marmo.We need one square meter of marble.
Sources
- IPA marked “word by word” joins the Wiktionary pronunciations of each word (metro, quadrato) and can differ in connected speech.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries metro, quadrato, CC BY-SA 4.0.
