tornado
/torˈna.do/masculine
The English phrase "tornado" can be translated into Italian as tornado or tromba d'aria.
Meaning: violent windstorm (noun)
Ways to say it
| Italian | IPA | Note |
|---|---|---|
| tornado | /torˈna.do/ | masculine |
| tromba d'aria | feminine |
Both terms are used to describe a violent windstorm. While tornado is a standard noun, tromba d'aria is used in everyday conversations.
What does it mean word for word?
The phrase tromba d'aria literally translates to "trumpet of air".
Which one should you use?
tornado is a masculine noun, whereas tromba d'aria is a feminine phrase.
How does it change in a sentence?
The masculine noun tornado becomes tornadi in its plural form. The feminine phrase tromba d'aria becomes trombe d'aria when referring to multiple air trumpets.
How do you pronounce it?
The word is pronounced /torˈna.do/. It has three syllables, with the stress on the second syllable.
Did you know?
- While the English word 'tornado' is used in Italian, it is actually a loanword borrowed from English.
- In Italian, the musical instrument 'trumpet' is also called a tromba, meaning the word for a storm and the word for a brass instrument are identical.
- In Italy, the phrase tromba d'aria is used for both land-based tornadoes and the smaller 'dust devils' often seen in summer.
Examples in context
- Il tornado si estinse.The tornado died out.This sentence uses tornado to describe a storm that died out.Tatoeba #5277484 by Guybrush88, translation #3855458 by Amastan
- Sta arrivando un tornado!There's a tornado coming!This sentence uses tornado to warn that one is coming.Tatoeba #5277486 by Guybrush88, translation #4873706 by meirad
- Tom è un cacciatore di tornado.Tom is a tornado chaser.This sentence uses tornado to describe a person who chases them.Tatoeba #5277483 by Guybrush88, translation #5276288 by Hybrid
- 41 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Francesco and Sofia are watching a news report about bad weather.
- FrancescoHai visto quel tornado nel video?Did you see that tornado in the video?
- SofiaSì, è stato davvero impressionante.Yes, it was truly impressive.
- FrancescoSpero che non arrivi qui.I hope it doesn't arrive here.
- SofiaSperiamo che passi lontano da noi.Let's hope it passes far from us.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “tornado” translations and entries tornado, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries tornado, tromba, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
