decimo
/ˈdɛ.t͡ʃi.mo/
The Italian word for tenth is decimo.
decimo is the ordinal form of the number ten.
Meaning: ordinal form of ten (adj)
Which one should you use?
When used as a noun, the word can mean a tenth (one of ten equal parts) or something in the tenth position. In these cases, both decimo and decima can be used.
Is it said differently in some regions?
In Southern Italy, including Sicily and Campania, people sometimes replace decimo with dezimo.
Related words
How does it change in a sentence?
The form of the ordinal number must agree in gender and number with the noun it modifies. Use the masculine singular form decimo when modifying a masculine singular noun, and the feminine singular form decima when modifying a feminine singular noun. The available forms to ensure agreement are decimo, decima, decimi and decime.
How do you pronounce it?
/ˈdɛ.tʃi.mo/. The word has 3 syllables and the stress is on the 1st syllable.
Did you know?
- The word decimo shares a dark history with the Latin verb 'decimare', which meant 'to reduce by a tenth'. This was a military punishment where one out of every ten soldiers was selected to be executed.
- In Italian music theory, an interval of a tenth is called a decima, which consists of an octave plus a third.
- While decimo refers to the position, the concept of a 'tenth' can also refer to a tax or a portion of a whole, such as a 'tithe' in historical religious contexts.
Examples in context
- Tom è andato al tappeto al decimo round.Tom was knocked out in the tenth round.This sentence shows how to use decimo to describe a round in a match.Tatoeba #3506988 by Guybrush88, translation #2751013 by sharptoothed
- Ashura è il decimo giorno del mese di Muharram.Ashura is the tenth day of the month of Muharram.This sentence shows how to use decimo to describe a specific day of a month.Tatoeba #12897763 by Guybrush88, translation #12599972 by cojiluc
- Il suo ufficio è al decimo piano.Her office is on the tenth floor.This sentence shows how to use decimo to describe a floor in a building.Tatoeba #9036244 by carlosalberto, translation #9036223 by carlosalberto
- La pagina decimaThe tenth page
Example conversation
Giulia and Francesco are discussing the winners of a race.
- GiuliaChi è arrivato al decimo posto?Who arrived in tenth place?
- FrancescoIl decimo corridore è un ragazzo molto veloce.The tenth runner is a very fast boy.
- GiuliaFrancesco, hai visto la sua velocità?Francesco, did you see his speed?
- FrancescoSì, è stato incredibile.Yes, it was incredible.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “tenth” translations and entries decimo, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries decimo, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
