smoking
/ˈzmɔ.kinɡ/masculine
The Italian word for tuxedo is smoking.
In Italy, smoking is the common way to refer to a tuxedo. You may also hear the term abito elegante, which translates to 'elegant dress' and can be used more broadly to encompass formal attire including a tuxedo.
Meaning: formal suit (noun)
How does it change in a sentence?
Because smoking is a masculine noun, you use the masculine indefinite article uno when saying 'a tuxedo' (uno smoking).
How do you pronounce it?
smoking is pronounced as /ˈzmɔ.kinɡ/. It has two syllables, and the stress is on the first syllable.
What mistakes should you avoid?
English speakers often mistakenly use the English word 'tuxedo' when speaking Italian. Instead, you should use the term smoking.
Did you know?
- The Italian word smoking is actually a linguistic 'game of telephone' that traveled from English to French and then to Italian. It is a shortened version of the English phrase 'smoking jacket'.
- In Italy, wearing a smoking is strictly reserved for evening events, usually starting after 6 PM.
- The term smoking is an example of a pseudo-anglicism, where a language adopts an English-sounding word that doesn't actually mean the same thing in English.
Examples in context
- Tom indossa uno smoking.Tom wears a tuxedo.This sentence is useful for showing how to say 'Tom wears a tuxedo' using smoking.Tatoeba #10451632 by Guybrush88, translation #10175442 by ddnktr
- Stava indossando uno smoking.He was wearing a tuxedo.This sentence is useful for showing how to say 'He was wearing a tuxedo' using smoking.Tatoeba #2838257 by Guybrush88, translation #730696 by CK
- Perché sta indossando uno smoking?Why are you wearing a tuxedo?This sentence is useful for showing how to say 'Why are you wearing a tuxedo?' using smoking.Tatoeba #2838253 by Guybrush88, translation #6733449 by CK
- Stasera indosserò uno smoking per la cerimonia.Tonight, I will wear a tuxedo for the ceremony.
- Il mio abito da sera è nero e formale.My tuxedo is black and formal.
- Oggi ho optato per uno smoking informale, con una cravatta colorata.Today, I opted for an informal tuxedo, with a colorful tie.
- Per la festa ho indossato un abito elegante, ma non proprio uno smoking.For the party, I wore an elegant dress, but not exactly a tuxedo.
- La cerimonia richiede uno smoking adeguato.The ceremony requires a proper tuxedo.
- Andrà bene uno smoking informale per questa festa?Is a casual tuxedo fine for this party?
- 20 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Matteo and Giulia are getting ready for a formal gala.
- MatteoDevo comprare uno smoking nuovo.I need to buy a new tuxedo.
- GiuliaIl tuo smoking blu è elegante.Your blue tuxedo is elegant.
- MatteoGrazie, spero che stia bene.Thanks, I hope it looks good.
- GiuliaSarai molto affascinante con uno smoking.You will be very charming in a tuxedo.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “tuxedo” translations and entries smoking, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries smoking, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
