Ways to say it
| Italian | IPA |
|---|---|
| loquace | /loˈkwa.t͡ʃe/ |
| chiacchierino | /kjak.kjeˈri.no/ |
| garrulo | /ˈɡar.ru.lo/ |
Italian has several ways to describe someone who tends to talk or speak freely and often, depending on the specific tone you wish to convey.
Which one should you use?
The word loquace is a formal or literary term. For everyday speech, chiacchierone is more common. If you want to describe someone who is a chatterbox, chiacchierone acts as a colloquial noun or adjective used in a lighthearted or slightly teasing way. For a more colorful way to describe someone who is overly talkative, you can use logorroico or logorroica. Finally, garrulo is a literary or archaic term often used to describe birds or to imply a type of talking that is somewhat noisy or trivial.
How does it change in a sentence?
The adjective loquace is invariable in gender, so the form remains the same whether the subject is masculine or feminine.
How do you pronounce it?
The pronunciation of loquace is /loˈkwa.tʃe/. It has three syllables, with the stress on the second syllable.
Did you know?
- While loquace is the standard word for 'talkative', the word logorroico describes a talkative person as if they have a medical condition. It stems from 'logorrhea', which refers to a pathological flow of words.
- The word chiacchierone comes from chiacchiare, which mimics the sound of birds chatting. This connects the human act of talking to the repetitive noise of small birds.
- The English word 'eloquent' shares the same Latin root as the Italian loquace, both stemming from the verb 'loqui' meaning 'to speak'.
Examples in context
- Lei non è loquace.She's not talkative.This sentence shows the use of loquace in a negative context regarding a female subject.Tatoeba #2769816 by Guybrush88, translation #2769675 by CK
- Tom non è loquace.Tom isn't talkative.This sentence shows the use of loquace in a negative context regarding a male subject.Tatoeba #4247515 by Guybrush88, translation #3921179 by CK
- Pat è molto loquace.Pat is very talkative.This sentence shows how to express that someone is very talkative using loquace.Tatoeba #1301110 by Guybrush88, translation #35143 by CN
- Il professore è un chiacchierone.The professor is talkative.
- La collega è una chiacchierona.The colleague is talkative.
- Maria è molto loquace quando parla di politica.Maria is very talkative when she talks about politics.
- Luca è davvero chiacchieroso!Luca is really talkative!
- Mario è un po' logorroico, parla per ore senza sosta.Mario is a bit talkative, he talks non-stop for hours.
- 38 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Sofia and Francesco are discussing a new colleague.
- SofiaHai conosciuto il nuovo collega?Have you met the new colleague?
- FrancescoSì, mi sembra un uomo molto loquace.Yes, he seems like a very talkative man.
- SofiaÈ vero, non smette mai di parlare.It's true, he never stops talking.
- FrancescoSì, ma è comunque molto simpatico.Yes, but he is still very nice.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “talkative” translations and entries loquace, chiacchierino, garrulo, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries garrulo, loquace, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
