svanire
/zvaˈni.re/
To vanish in Italian is to say svanire. Wiktionary also lists sparire.
Meaning: become invisible or to move out of view unnoticed (verb)
Ways to say it
| Italian | IPA |
|---|---|
| svanire | /zvaˈni.re/ |
| sparire | /spaˈri.re/ |
Both svanire and sparire are used to describe the act of becoming invisible or moving out of view unnoticed.
Which one should you use?
While both words mean to vanish, they are used in different contexts. sparire is the more common, everyday verb used when physical objects or people disappear from sight. In contrast, svanire is often used for more abstract or gradual disappearances, such as sounds, traces of something or feelings.
How do you pronounce it?
The word is pronounced /zvaˈni.re/. It has 3 syllables, and the stress is on the 2nd syllable.
Did you know?
- In casual Italian conversation, Sparisci! is used as a harsh command meaning 'Get lost!' or 'Get out of my sight!'
- The word svanire shares a common ancestor with the English word 'vain', as both stem from the Latin concept of being empty or void.
- Italian has a specific nuance where sparire can mean someone has 'gone missing' in a legal or police context, whereas svanire never is.
Examples in context
- La fiducia sembra svanire quando la gelosia prende piede.Trust seems to vanish when jealousy takes hold.This sentence illustrates how a feeling can use the form svanire.Tatoeba #13319778 by Nuel, translation #13319775 by Nuel
- Il mago ha fatto scomparire la sua assistente.The magician made his assistant vanish.
- Le nuvole si sono evanite nel cielo blu.The clouds vanished in the blue sky.
- Ieri sera, il tuo messaggio sul gruppo è sparito.Last night, your message on the group chat vanished.
- Quella fetta di torta è stata appena servita e si è volatilizzata in un attimo!That slice of cake was just served and vanished in an instant!
- Le nuvole sembrano svanire nel cielo.The clouds seem to vanish into the sky.
- I suoi problemi sembrano svanire dopo la vacanza.His problems seem to vanish after the vacation.
Example conversation
Francesco and Chiara are watching a magic show.
- FrancescoGuarda come fa svanire il coniglio!Look how he makes the rabbit vanish!
- ChiaraNon ho visto nulla, è incredibile.I didn't see anything, it's incredible.
- FrancescoÈ un trucco molto veloce, Chiara.It's a very fast trick, Chiara.
- ChiaraSpero che riappaia presto.I hope it reappears soon.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “vanish” translations and entries svanire, sparire, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries sparire, svanire, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
