vocabolario
/vo.ka.boˈla.rjo/masculine
The Italian word for vocabulary is vocabolario.
vocabolario refers to the set of words a person knows.
Meaning: set of words a person knows (noun)
Which one should you use?
While vocabolario is used in general speech, the term lessico is often used in more technical, linguistic or academic contexts to refer to the vocabulary of a specific language or field.
How does it change in a sentence?
The plural form of vocabolario is vocabolari.
How do you pronounce it?
The word has 5 syllables, and the stress is on the 4th syllable: /vo.ka.boˈla.rjo/.
Did you know?
- In a physical bookstore, you might ask for a vocabolario when you actually mean a printed dictionary.
- In Italian, when someone has a very limited vocabulary, it is often described using the phrase povero di vocaboli, meaning they are 'poor of words'.
- The Italian word vocabolario shares a root with the English word 'vocal', reflecting the Latin origin of calling out with the voice.
Examples in context
- Che cos'è quel vocabolario?What's that vocabulary?This sentence is useful for asking about a specific vocabulary.Tatoeba #5148436 by Guybrush88, translation #778122 by marloncori
- Tom ha un enorme vocabolario.Tom has a tremendous vocabulary.This sentence is useful for describing the size of someone's vocabulary.Tatoeba #6942699 by dnnywld, translation #6732540 by Eccles17
- Imparai molto vocabolario berbero.I learned a lot of Berber vocabulary.This sentence is useful for describing the amount of vocabulary learned.Tatoeba #7748935 by Guybrush88, translation #7748727 by Amastan
- Ho ampliato il mio vocabolario studiando italiano per un anno.I expanded my vocabulary by studying Italian for a year.
- Il lessico italiano contiene molte terminologie artistiche.The Italian vocabulary contains many artistic terms.
- Ho imparato nuove parole italiane guardando film.I learned new Italian words by watching movies.
- 28 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Chiara and Lorenzo are discussing their Italian language classes.
- ChiaraDevo migliorare il mio vocabolario in italiano.I need to improve my vocabulary in Italian.
- LorenzoAnche io, leggo molti libri per questo.Me too, I read many books for this reason.
- ChiaraHai un vocabolario molto ampio, Lorenzo!You have a very wide vocabulary, Lorenzo!
- LorenzoGrazie, Chiara, sei molto gentile.Thank you, Chiara, you are very kind.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “vocabulary” translations and entries vocabolario, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
