Ways to say it
| Italian | IPA |
|---|---|
| commovente | /kom.moˈvɛn.te/ |
| toccante | /tokˈkan.te/ |
Both words are used to describe something that provokes sadness and pity.
What does it mean word for word?
The word commovente is derived from the verb commuovere, which literally means 'to move' in an emotional sense.
Which one should you use?
While both words mean touching, commovente is more common and suggests a deeper emotional movement or being 'moved to tears'. In contrast, toccante is slightly more literary or formal.
How does it change in a sentence?
As an adjective, commovente remains the same for both masculine and feminine singular, but changes to commoventi for both masculine and feminine plural. The adjective toccante remains the same for both masculine and feminine singular, but changes to toccanti for both masculine and feminine plural.
How do you pronounce it?
The word commovente is pronounced /kom.moˈvɛn.te/. It has 4 syllables, with the stress on the 3rd syllable.
Did you know?
- While toccante describes a touching story, the verb toccare is used in the common idiom tocca a me to mean 'it is my turn'.
- In Italian, the concept of being 'moved' commosso can describe both a state of deep sadness and a state of overwhelming joy.
- The adjective toccante is a linguistic cousin to the French word 'touchant', reflecting a historical period where French aesthetic terms heavily influenced Italian literature.
Examples in context
- È una storia molto toccante.It's a very touching story.This sentence is useful for using the word toccante to describe a story.Tatoeba #5069752 by Guybrush88, translation #5069435 by CK
- Questa canzone è molto toccante.This song is very touching.This sentence is useful for using the word toccante to describe a song.Tatoeba #11730730 by Guybrush88, translation #4530936 by Hybrid
- La scena era piuttosto commovente.The scene was quite touching.This sentence is useful for using the word commovente to describe a scene.Tatoeba #4506573 by Guybrush88, translation #4502665 by CK
- Il suo discorso è stato davvero emozionanteHis speech was truly touching
- Ho letto un libro commovente che mi ha fatto piangereI read a touching book that made me cry
- La sua storia di sopravvivenza è davvero struggenteHis survival story is truly touching
- Il film che abbiamo visto era davvero toccanteThe movie we watched was really touching
- 5 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Lorenzo and Giulia are talking about a book they both read.
- LorenzoHai finito quel libro di cui parlavamo?Did you finish that book we were talking about?
- GiuliaSì, è stato davvero commovente.Yes, it was truly touching.
- LorenzoTi ha fatto piangere?Did it make you cry?
- GiuliaUn pochino, è una storia molto bella.A little bit, it's a very beautiful story.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “touching” translations and entries commovente, toccante, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries toccante, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
