stelle
The English phrase "stars" is stelle in Italian.
stelle refers to the small, bright points of light seen in the night sky. To specifically refer to a shooting star, use the term stella cadente.
Which one should you use?
While stelle is the standard term, Astri is a more formal and poetic synonym used in literature or to describe celestial bodies. For an affectionate or diminutive tone, such as when speaking to children, you can use Stelline.
How does it change in a sentence?
stelle is the feminine plural form of the singular noun stella. Because the noun is feminine, the feminine plural definite article le is used to say "the stars" as le stelle.
Did you know?
- In Italy, it is a common romantic superstition to make a wish upon a stella cadente by keeping the wish secret until the star has fully vanished from sight.
- Italian uses the word stella in the expression stella polare for the North Star, which is often used metaphorically to describe a guiding principle or a fixed moral point in life.
- In many Italian culinary contexts, 'stella' can refer to the Michelin star, often used in the phrase 'stelle Michelin' to denote extreme excellence.
Examples in context
- Le stelle sono belle.Stars are beautiful.This sentence uses stelle to describe the beauty of stars.Tatoeba #5136866 by Guybrush88, translation #3123774 by Hybrid
- Tom indicò le stelle.Tom pointed at the stars.This sentence uses stelle to describe the action of pointing at stars.Tatoeba #7415046 by Guybrush88, translation #6287015 by Hybrid
- Chi conterà le stelle?Who will count the stars?This sentence uses stelle in a question about counting stars.Tatoeba #3846508 by Guybrush88, translation #3845689 by muriloricci
- Si può vedere un cielo stellato nelle notti serene.One can see a starry sky on clear nights.
- La notte era illuminata da astri scintillanti.The night was illuminated by sparkling stars.
- Che belle stelline che hai dipinto!What beautiful little stars you painted!
- Ho contato dieci stelle scintillanti nel cielo.I counted ten sparkling stars in the sky.
- Ieri sera ho visto una stella cadente nel cielo.Last night I saw a shooting star in the sky.
- È un uomo nato sotto una buona stella.He's a man born under a lucky star.
- 136 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Lorenzo and Sofia are sitting on a balcony on a clear night.
- LorenzoGuarda quante stelle stasera!Look how many stars there are tonight!
- SofiaSono davvero luminose.They are truly bright.
- LorenzoSembrano quasi vicine.They seem almost close.
- SofiaSì, è uno spettacolo bellissimo.Yes, it is a beautiful sight.
Sources
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
