ventilatore
/ven.ti.laˈto.re/
The Italian word for "ventilator" is ventilatore.
In a medical context, ventilatore refers to a machine used to assist with breathing. In everyday language, however, this word is most commonly used to refer to an electric fan used for cooling.
Meaning: medicine: machine to help breathing (noun)
Which one should you use?
Because ventilatore usually means an electric fan, you should use the phrase ventilatore meccanico to specifically refer to a medical ventilator and avoid confusion. In informal speech, people may also use the expression macchina per respirare, which literally means "breathing machine."
How does it change in a sentence?
The plural form of ventilatore is ventilatori.
How do you pronounce it?
/ven.ti.laˈto.re/. It has 5 syllables, with the stress on the 4th syllable.
Did you know?
- The root of ventilatore traces back to the Latin action of winnowing grain to separate it from the chaff.
- In Italian, the term ventilatore is used for any cooling fan, but for air conditioning systems, Italians use the loanword condizionatore.
- The word ventilatore belongs to a class of nouns ending in -tore, which typically describes a person or a machine that performs a specific action.
Examples in context
- Lei riparò un ventilatore.She repaired a ventilator.This sentence shows the use of ventilatore as a noun.Tatoeba #4205716 by Guybrush88, translation #2880390 by Amastan
- Ho disegnato un ventilatore innovativo per il reparto di terapia intensiva.I designed an innovative ventilator for the intensive care unit.
- Il paziente ha bisogno di un ventilatore.The patient needs a ventilator.
- 3 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Two doctors are discussing a patient's condition in a hospital.
- AlessandroAlessandro, come sta il paziente?Alessandro, how is the patient doing?
- MartinaÈ stabile grazie al ventilatore.He is stable thanks to the ventilator.
- AlessandroPossiamo staccare il ventilatore domani?Can we take him off the ventilator tomorrow?
- MartinaSì, Martina, credo sia possibile.Yes, Martina, I think it's possible.
Sources
- Pronunciation: Wiktionary entry ventilatore, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries ventilatore, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
