temporale
/tem.poˈra.le/masculine
The English phrase 'thunderstorm' is temporale in Italian.
temporale is a masculine noun used to describe a storm characterized by thunder and lightning. If you wish to describe related weather elements, tuono means 'thunder', lampo means 'lightning' and pioggia means 'rain'.
Meaning: storm with thunder and lightning (noun)
Which one should you use?
While temporale specifically refers to a thunderstorm, the word tempesta refers to a more general storm or tempest.
How does it change in a sentence?
The plural form of temporale is temporali.
How do you pronounce it?
The word is pronounced /tem.poˈra.le/. It has 4 syllables, with the stress on the 3rd syllable.
Did you know?
- In Italian, the word tempo is used for both 'time' and 'weather'. This means the question che tempo fa? literally asks 'what time does it make?' when it actually means 'how is the weather?'
- Beyond weather, temporale is frequently used to describe a sudden and violent emotional outburst or a heated argument between people.
- The word temporale shares a root with 'temporal', referring to time. In its original sense, it described a storm that is brief and transient rather than a permanent change in weather.
Examples in context
- Oggi c'è un forte temporale in arrivo.Today there's a strong thunderstorm coming.
- Il temporale di ieri sera ha causato problemi elettrici.Yesterday's thunderstorm caused electrical issues.
- C'è un forte temporale in arrivo.There is a strong thunderstorm coming.
- Il temporale ha causato un blackout.The thunderstorm caused a blackout.
- 1 more sentence on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Chiara and Alessandro are looking out the window at the dark sky.
- ChiaraSenti il tuono? Sta arrivando un temporale.Do you hear the thunder? A thunderstorm is coming.
- AlessandroSì, è un temporale molto violento.Yes, it is a very violent thunderstorm.
- ChiaraMeglio chiudere subito tutte le finestre.Better to close all the windows immediately.
- AlessandroHai ragione, Chiara, muoviamoci.You are right, Chiara, let's move.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “thunderstorm” translations and entries temporale, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries temporale, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
