ecco
/ˈɛk.ko/
The English phrase 'voilà' can be expressed in Italian using ecco.
The word is used to mean 'behold!', 'here is' or 'there is'.
Meaning: behold! (intj)
Which one should you use?
While voilà is used in Italian, it is actually a loanword from French. The native Italian equivalent for 'behold' or 'here is' is ecco.
How does it change in a sentence?
The word ecco is invariable, meaning it does not change its form to indicate whether the subject is singular or plural (it can mean both 'here is' and 'here are').
How do you pronounce it?
The pronunciation is /ˈɛk.ko/. It has 2 syllables, with the stress on the 1st syllable.
Did you know?
- The word ecco is actually a contraction of the Latin ecce meaning 'behold' and eum meaning 'him'. This means that every time you say ecco, you are technically saying 'behold him'.
- While ecco means 'here is', adding the word che creates ecco che, which is used to describe a sudden change or the exact moment something happens, similar to saying 'and then suddenly'.
- If someone is looking for you and you want to say 'I'm here', you say ecco me or simply ecco, rather than using the standard verb for 'to be'.
Examples in context
- Ecco la nostra proposta di collaborazione.Here is our collaboration proposal.
- Ecco il documento che cercavi.Here is the document you were looking for.
- Guarda un po' cosa ho trovato!Look at what I found!
- Ecco il tuo regalo.Here is your gift.
- Ecco la chiave che cercavi.Here is the key you were looking for.
- Ecco fatto, il lavoro è finito!There, the work is done!
Example conversation
Matteo is showing Martina a finished painting.
- MartinaÈ bellissimo, Matteo!It's beautiful, Matteo!
- MatteoGrazie, ecco il quadro finito.Thanks, here is the finished painting.
- MartinaHai davvero un grande talento.You really have a great talent.
- MatteoGrazie mille, sono molto felice.Thank you so much, I am very happy.
Sources
- Pronunciation: Wiktionary entry ecco, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries ecco, CC BY-SA 4.0.
