volante
/voˈlan.te/masculine
The English phrase "steering wheel" is volante in Italian. Wiktionary also lists sterzo.
Meaning: wheel-shaped control (noun)
Ways to say it
| Italian | IPA | Note |
|---|---|---|
| volante | /voˈlan.te/ | masculine |
| sterzo | masculine |
The term refers to the wheel-shaped control used to steer a vehicle.
Which one should you use?
While volante refers to the physical wheel held by the driver, sterzo refers to the entire steering mechanism or the act of steering.
How does it change in a sentence?
Both volante and sterzo are masculine nouns.
How do you pronounce it?
The word volante is pronounced /voˈlan.te/. It has three syllables, with the stress on the second syllable.
Did you know?
- In some Italian contexts, volante can refer to a 'leaflet' or a 'flyer' used for advertising.
- The term sterzo traces its roots back to the Lombardic word for a 'plough handle'.
- The word volante shares its root with the verb volare, meaning 'to fly'.
Examples in context
- Un'auto ha un volante.A car has one steering wheel.This sentence is useful for showing that a car possesses a volante.Tatoeba #1718035 by Guybrush88, translation #265465 by CM
- Una macchina ha un volante.A car has a steering wheel.Tatoeba #1718034 by Guybrush88, translation #2353449 by AlanF_US
- Le macchine giapponesi hanno il volante a destra.Japanese cars have the steering wheel on the right.This sentence is useful for describing the position of the volante in Japanese cars.Tatoeba #5473330 by dnnywld, translation #11165396 by gcaplan
- Il volante della macchina si è rotto durante il viaggio.The steering wheel of the car broke during the trip.
- 2 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Martina and Alessandro are inside a car.
- MartinaAlessandro, tieni il volante con due mani.Alessandro, hold the steering wheel with both hands.
- AlessandroHai ragione, sono troppo distratto.You are right, I am too distracted.
- MartinaIl volante di questa macchina è molto leggero.The steering wheel of this car is very light.
- AlessandroSì, è molto comodo da guidare.Yes, it is very comfortable to drive.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “steering wheel” translations and entries volante, sterzo, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries sterzo, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
