USA
/ˈu.za/masculine, plural
In Italian, USA is the abbreviation for the United States of America. Wiktionary also lists SUA.
Meaning: abbreviation of the United States of America (name)
Ways to say it
| Italian | IPA | Note |
|---|---|---|
| USA | /ˈu.za/ /ju.esˈsej/ |
masculine, plural |
| SUA | /ˈsu.a/ | masculine, plural |
The abbreviation USA is used to refer to the United States of America. However, Italians more frequently refer to the country as gli Stati Uniti in both speech and writing.
Which one should you use?
USA is the standard plural form, while SUA is a rare masculine plural variant.
How does it change in a sentence?
The abbreviation USA is treated as a masculine plural noun. In a sentence, it is typically preceded by the plural definite article gli, forming gli USA.
How do you pronounce it?
The pronunciation is /ˈu.za/. It has two syllables, with the stress on the first syllable.
Did you know?
- Although USA is the abbreviation for the country, the word usa is also a form of the Italian verb usare, meaning 'to use'.
- Italians may use l'America more often than USA in casual conversation to refer to the country, rather than the continent.
- Because USA is treated as plural, any adjective following it must also be plural, such as gli USA sono potenti meaning 'the USA are powerful'.
Examples in context
- USA sta per United States of America.USA stands for the United States of America.This sentence shows how USA is used to stand for the United States of America.Tatoeba #612781 by Guybrush88, translation #72162 by CK
- La storia degli Stati Uniti d'America è molto interessante.The history of the United States of America is very interesting.
- Ho vissuto negli Stati Uniti per diversi anni.I lived in the United States for several years.
- La mia famiglia vive negli Stati Uniti.My family lives in the United States.
- Gli USA sono molto grandi.The USA are very large.
- Vorrei visitare gli USA l'anno prossimo.I would like to visit the USA next year.
Example conversation
Francesco and Chiara are talking about their travel plans.
- FrancescoDove vorresti andare in vacanza, Chiara?Where would you like to go on vacation, Chiara?
- ChiaraSogno di fare un viaggio negli USA.I dream of taking a trip to the USA.
- FrancescoQuali città vuoi visitare?Which cities do you want to visit?
- ChiaraVorrei vedere New York e Los Angeles.I would like to see New York and Los Angeles.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “usa” translations and entries USA, SUA, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Pronunciation from the Wiktionary entry sua.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
