Ways to say it
| Italian | IPA |
|---|---|
| imminente | /im.miˈnɛn.te/ |
| prossimo | /ˈprɔs.si.mo/ |
In Italian, both terms are used to describe things in the near future, but they are applied in different contexts. Prossimo is a common way to say 'upcoming' when referring to the next occurrence in a sequence.
Which one should you use?
The choice between these words depends on the sense of timing and urgency. Use prossimo for the next item in a sequence, such as 'the next week' or 'the upcoming election'. Use imminente to describe something that is about to happen at any moment, which often implies a sense of urgency, such as an approaching deadline or a storm.
How does it change in a sentence?
The grammatical rules for these words differ significantly. Prossimo must agree in gender and number with the noun it modifies, taking the forms prossimo, prossima, prossimi or prossime. In contrast, imminente is an invariable adjective in gender, meaning it remains the same whether it describes a masculine or feminine noun.
How do you pronounce it?
imminente is pronounced /im.miˈnɛn.te/. It has 4 syllables, and the stress is on the 3rd syllable.
Did you know?
- In a religious or ethical context, the phrase il prossimo is used specifically to refer to 'one's fellow human being', representing the concept of loving your neighbor as yourself.
- The adjective imminente carries a much heavier emotional weight than 'upcoming' does in English, often suggesting a sense of impending danger or inescapable crisis.
- The word prossimo is derived from the Latin word proximus, which is also the root of the English word 'proximity'.
Examples in context
- La prossima settimanaThe upcoming week
- Un importante evento è in arrivoAn important event is upcoming
- Andiamo a mangiare fuori fra pocoWe are going out to eat soon
- La riunione è imminenteThe meeting is upcoming
- Il prossimo concertoThe upcoming concert
- La prossima festaThe upcoming party
- il prossimo eventoThe upcoming event
- un pericolo imminenteAn imminent danger
- Il pericolo è imminente.The danger is imminent.
- Siamo pronti per l'imminente arrivo del treno.We are ready for the imminent arrival of the train.
- C'è un cambiamento imminente nel programma.There is an imminent change in the program.
Example conversation
Alessandro and Giulia are discussing a deadline at work.
- AlessandroHai finito il report per la scadenza imminente?Have you finished the report for the upcoming deadline?
- GiuliaSì, Alessandro, l'ho inviato stamattina.Yes, Alessandro, I sent it this morning.
- AlessandroOttimo, perché il capo è molto ansioso.Great, because the boss is very anxious.
- GiuliaCapisco, è un progetto molto importante.I understand, it is a very important project.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “upcoming” translations and entries imminente, prossimo, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries imminente, prossimo, CC BY-SA 4.0.
