città
/t͡ʃitˈta/feminine
The Italian word for town is città.
città is a feminine noun used to refer to a settlement. A common idiomatic use is the phrase in città, which frequently means being 'downtown' or in the 'city center' rather than just being located inside a settlement.
Meaning: settlement (noun)
Which one should you use?
While città can refer to both a city and a town, the word paese is used specifically when you want to describe a small town or a village.
How does it change in a sentence?
The word città is invariant in number, which means it stays the same whether you are talking about one town or multiple towns.
How do you pronounce it?
/tʃitˈta/
Did you know?
- While città refers to a town, the word paese can mean both a small 'village' and an entire 'country'.
- In Italy, the status of being a città was historically a title granted by a Pope or an Emperor to a settlement of particular importance.
- The term centro città is often used to describe the historic heart of a town, which is frequently a pedestrian-only zone where cars are banned.
Examples in context
- Tom è in città.Tom is in town.This sentence shows how to use città to say someone is in town.Tatoeba #2608936 by Guybrush88, translation #2273242 by CK
- In che città è?In which town are you?This sentence is a way to ask which town someone is in using città.Tatoeba #2728355 by Guybrush88, translation #2728353 by MTC
- Non è in città.He isn't in town.This sentence demonstrates a negative statement using città.Tatoeba #8483054 by Guybrush88, translation #8480872 by CH
- La mia famiglia vive in una piccola città nel nord Italia.My family lives in a small town in northern Italy.
- L'amministrazione del municipio sta lavorando per migliorare l'infrastruttura urbana.The town administration is working to improve urban infrastructure.
- Il nuovo progetto urbanistico prevede l'espansione del centro abitato.The new urban development plan includes the expansion of the town.
- Oggi andiamo in paese a prendere un gelato.Today we're going to town to get an ice cream.
- Mio nonno vive in un piccolo borgo sulle colline toscane.My grandfather lives in a small town in the hills of Tuscany.
- 651 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Matteo and Chiara are discussing where to spend their holiday.
- MatteoTi piace questa città?Do you like this town?
- ChiaraSì, la città è incantevole.Yes, the town is enchanting.
- MatteoVuoi restare qui con me?Do you want to stay here with me?
- ChiaraSì, mi piace molto questo posto.Yes, I like this place a lot.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “town” translations and entries città, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
