scoiattolo
/skoˈjat.to.lo/masculine
The Italian word for squirrel is scoiattolo.
scoiattolo is the most common term for squirrel in the Italian language. You may also use the affectionate term scoiattolino to mean little squirrel.
Meaning: rodent (noun)
How does it change in a sentence?
The plural form of scoiattolo is scoiattoli.
How do you pronounce it?
The word has 4 syllables and the stress is on the 2nd syllable: /skoˈjat.to.lo/.
Did you know?
- The Latin root 'sciurus' is believed to be a compound of 'skia' meaning 'shadow' and 'oura' meaning 'tail', literally translating to 'shadow-tail'.
- Italian lacks a specific single word for 'chipmunk', so speakers often use scoiattolo striato which literally means 'striped squirrel'.
- Because scoiattolo is already a diminutive, using the form scoiattolino creates a 'double diminutive' to emphasize extreme cuteness.
Examples in context
- Tom ha uno scoiattolo.Tom has a squirrel.This sentence is useful for saying Tom has a squirrel.Tatoeba #7031728 by Guybrush88, translation #7031053 by Hybrid
- Quello era uno scoiattolo?Was that a squirrel?This sentence is useful for asking if something was a squirrel.Tatoeba #3460957 by Guybrush88, translation #3385963 by Hybrid
- Questo scoiattolo è timido.This squirrel is shy.This sentence is useful for describing a shy scoiattolo.Tatoeba #7097119 by Guybrush88, translation #3295035 by Hybrid
- Ho visto uno scoiattolo nel parco oggi!I saw a squirrel in the park today!
- Lo scoiattolo è un animale molto agile.The squirrel is a very agile animal.
- 58 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Alessandro and Chiara are walking in a park.
- AlessandroGuarda quel piccolo scoiattolo!Look at that little squirrel!
- ChiaraÈ molto veloce.It is very fast.
- AlessandroLo scoiattolo sta mangiando una noce.The squirrel is eating a nut.
- ChiaraChe carino!How cute!
Sources
- Wiktionary, “squirrel” translations and entries scoiattolo, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
