donna
/ˈdɔn.na/feminine
The Italian word for woman is donna.
The term donna refers to an adult female person. Depending on the context and the age or status of the person being described, other terms may be more appropriate: ragazza is used for a girl or young woman, while fanciulla is a more poetic and old-fashioned way to refer to a young lady or maiden.
Meaning: adult female person (noun)
Which one should you use?
While donna is the standard term for an adult woman, ragazza refers to a younger female and fanciulla carries a more literary or archaic tone. To show respect to an older or married woman, the term signora (Mrs. or Madam) is used instead of donna.
How does it change in a sentence?
Donna is a feminine noun. Its plural form is donne. Similarly, the plural of ragazza is ragazze and the plural of fanciulla is fanciulle.
How do you pronounce it?
The pronunciation is /ˈdɔn.na/. It has two syllables, and the stress is on the first syllable.
Did you know?
- The word donna shares its roots with the Latin word for 'home', specifically domus. This means the word's history is tied to the idea of the mistress of the household.
- The word donna is a linguistic relative of the English word 'domain', as both stems from the concept of a master or ruler of a space.
- Historically, donna was not just a gender descriptor but a title of status, derived from the word for 'lady' or 'mistress of an estate'.
Examples in context
- Chi è la donna?Who is the woman?This sentence is useful for identifying a specific woman.Tatoeba #13300944 by Guybrush88, translation #3868903 by Balamax
- La donna è nuda.The woman is naked.This sentence describes a woman's state.Tatoeba #740229 by Pharamp, translation #939780 by Valodnieks
- È una donna ora.You're a woman now.This sentence describes a change in status or identity.Tatoeba #1991349 by Guybrush88, translation #1886940 by Spamster
- Le donne italiane sono famose per la loro eleganza.Italian women are famous for their elegance.
- Questa fanciulla ha un sorriso incantevole.This young lady has a charming smile.
- 1037 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Chiara and Alessandro are looking at an old photograph.
- ChiaraChi è quella donna nella foto?Who is that woman in the photo?
- AlessandroÈ mia nonna da giovane.It is my grandmother when she was young.
- ChiaraÈ una donna molto elegante.She is a very elegant woman.
- AlessandroSì, era sempre molto raffinata.Yes, she was always very refined.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “woman” translations and entries donna, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries donna, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
