surfista
/serˈfis.ta/masculine
The English word "surfer" can be translated into Italian as surfista. Wiktionary also lists surfer.
Meaning: person who rides a surfboard (noun)
Ways to say it
| Italian | IPA | Note |
|---|---|---|
| surfista | /serˈfis.ta/ /sørˈfis.ta/ |
masculine |
| surfer | feminine, masculine |
The term refers to a person who rides a surfboard.
Which one should you use?
surfista is the standard Italian term, whereas the English loanword surfer is frequently used in informal contexts or within the surfing community itself.
How does it change in a sentence?
surfista can be used for both masculine and feminine subjects. To indicate gender, you must change the article: use il surfista for a man and la surfista for a woman.
How do you pronounce it?
The word has 3 syllables, with the stress on the second syllable: /serˈfis.ta/.
Did you know?
- The word surfista is a hybrid creation that combines an English root with a Latin-derived suffix used across many Romance languages to denote a practitioner.
- Even though surfista sounds like a formal profession, in Italy it is almost exclusively associated with a relaxed, lifestyle-oriented subculture.
- If you are talking about the sport itself rather than the person, Italians often use the English word 'surfing' rather than an Italian translation.
Examples in context
- Tom è un surfista.Tom is a surfer.This sentence is useful for identifying someone using the form surfista.Tatoeba #4741738 by Guybrush88, translation #1555514 by Spamster
- Lui è un surfista.He's a surfer.Tatoeba #9280696 by GioBo, translation #2365677 by Hybrid
- Il surfista provò a cavalcare la cresta dell'onda.The surfer tried to ride the crest of the wave.This sentence describes an action performed by the form surfista.Tatoeba #7347205 by Guybrush88, translation #2982342 by Hybrid
- Un bravissimo surfistaA very talented surfer
- Un appassionato di surf espertoAn experienced surf enthusiast
- 5 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Francesco and Chiara are talking at the beach.
- FrancescoChiara, hai visto quel surfista?Chiara, did you see that surfer?
- ChiaraSì, Francesco, è bravissimo.Yes, Francesco, he is very good.
- FrancescoVuoi provare a fare surf con lui?Do you want to try surfing with him?
- ChiaraForse un giorno, ma non oggi.Maybe one day, but not today.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “surfer” translations and entries surfista, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries surfista, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
