tonnellata
/ton.nelˈla.ta/feminine
The English word 'ton' is translated into Italian as tonnellata.
tonnellata is a feminine noun used to refer to various units of mass notionally equivalent to a tun. You may also encounter the phrase un mucchio di, which means 'a heap of'.
Meaning: various units of mass notionally equivalent to a tun (noun)
How does it change in a sentence?
The plural form of tonnellata is tonnellate.
How do you pronounce it?
The word has 4 syllables, with the stress on the third syllable: /ton.nelˈla.ta/.
Did you know?
- In Italian, the word tonnellata is derived from the word tonnello, which originally referred to a specific large barrel used for transporting wine and oil.
- While tonnellata refers to mass, Italians use the word tonnellaggio to describe the internal volume of a ship, meaning the capacity of its hold rather than its weight.
- While tonnellata is the standard for weight, Italians use the word quintale to bridge the gap between a kilogram and a ton, representing exactly 100 kilograms.
Examples in context
- Questo frigo pesa una tonnellata.This fridge weighs a ton.This sentence shows how to use tonnellata to describe the weight of a fridge.Tatoeba #8668169 by Guybrush88, translation #8049668 by OsoHombre
- Questa scatola pesa una tonnellata.This box weighs a ton.This sentence demonstrates using tonnellata for the weight of a box.Tatoeba #5981707 by Guybrush88, translation #3819202 by CK
- Questa giraffa pesa una tonnellata.This giraffe weighs a ton.This sentence uses tonnellata to express the weight of a giraffe.Tatoeba #8668171 by Guybrush88, translation #8546651 by Amastan
- Voglio comprare una tonnellata di carbone per riscaldare la casa.I want to buy a ton of coal to heat the house.
- Hai una marea di libri nella tua biblioteca!You have a ton of books in your library!
- 11 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Matteo and Sofia are talking about a shipment of materials.
- MatteoQuanta sabbia ci serve per il giardino?How much sand do we need for the garden?
- SofiaPenso che serva una tonnellata di sabbia.I think we need a ton of sand.
- MatteoÈ troppo per il nostro piccolo camion!That is too much for our small truck!
- SofiaAllora ordiniamo solo mezza tonnellata.Then let's order only half a ton.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “ton” translations and entries tonnellata, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
