giocattolo
/d͡ʒoˈkat.to.lo/masculine
The English word 'toy' is giocattolo in Italian. Wiktionary also lists balocco.
Meaning: something to play with (noun)
Ways to say it
| Italian | IPA | Note |
|---|---|---|
| giocattolo | /d͡ʒoˈkat.to.lo/ | masculine |
| balocco | /baˈlɔk.ko/ | masculine |
The most common and widely used term for a toy is giocattolo. You may also encounter giocattolino, which is a diminutive form of giocattolo. Additionally, the word gioco can mean 'game'.
Which one should you use?
While 'giocattolo' is the standard, common word for a toy, balocco is more archaic or literary and is rarely used in everyday modern conversation.
Related words
How does it change in a sentence?
The word giocattolo is a masculine noun. Its plural form is giocattoli. The word balocco is also a masculine noun, and its plural is balocchi. The diminutive giocattolino has the plural form giocattolini.
How do you pronounce it?
The word has four syllables, with the stress on the second syllable: /dʒoˈkat.to.lo/.
Did you know?
- In Italian, the phrase fare i balocchi con qualcuno means to play tricks on someone or treat them as a toy.
- In Italian, the word giocattolo is closely related to giocoso, which describes someone who is 'playful' or 'cheerful'.
- The word giocattolo is built from the word for 'game', gioco, making it literally a 'little game'.
Examples in context
- Non è un giocattolo!It's not a toy!This sentence is useful for emphasizing that something is not a giocattolo.Tatoeba #963675 by Guybrush88, translation #995594 by AlanF_US
- Non è un giocattolo.It's not a toy.This sentence is useful for stating that something is not a giocattolo.Tatoeba #7307219 by Guybrush88, translation #6846745 by Hybrid
- È solo un giocattolo.It's just a toy.This sentence is useful for clarifying that something is only a giocattolo.Tatoeba #4564561 by Guybrush88, translation #3363729 by CK
- Ho tanti giochi nel mio armadio.I have many toys in my closet.
- La nonna mi ha comprato un bel giocattolino nuovo.Grandma bought me a nice new toy.
- Dovremo organizzare tutti i giocattoli dei bambini.We'll have to organize all the children's toys.
- Ho trovato dei bei giocattoli colorati.I found some beautiful colorful toys.
- 70 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Giulia and Francesco are cleaning up a child's playroom.
- GiuliaQuesto giocattolo è rotto.This toy is broken.
- FrancescoPosso buttarlo via, Giulia?Can I throw it away, Giulia?
- GiuliaNo, è il giocattolo preferito di Luca.No, it is Luca's favorite toy.
- FrancescoAllora lo mettiamo nella scatola.Then we will put it in the box.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “toy” translations and entries giocattolo, balocco, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries balocco, giocattolo, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
