Ways to say it
| Italian | IPA | Note |
|---|---|---|
| muro | /ˈmu.ro/ | masculine |
| parete | /paˈre.te/ | feminine |
In Italian, the word used for 'wall' depends on whether you are referring to an exterior structure or an interior surface. Use muro when describing thick, structural or exterior walls, such as stone or brick boundaries and fortifications. Use parete when referring to interior walls, partitions or the surfaces within a room, such as when hanging a picture or painting a room.
Which one should you use?
muro is used for heavy outdoor structures, boundaries and thick, structural walls. In contrast, parete is the term for interior walls and the surfaces of a room. Additionally, while both can mean wall, the term muraglia is used specifically for a large, thick or defensive wall, such as those found on a fortress or surrounding a city.
Related words
How does it change in a sentence?
The masculine noun muro becomes muri in its plural form. The feminine noun parete becomes pareti in its plural form.
How do you pronounce it?
/ˈmu.ro/
Did you know?
- The word parete is also the standard term for a 'cliff face' or a 'rock wall' in mountaineering.
- The word muro shares a common ancestor with the English word 'firm', both originating from a Proto-Indo-European root meaning 'to strengthen'.
- The expression fare muro means 'to form a wall' and is often used in sports to describe a defensive line of players.
Examples in context
- Il muro è bianco.The wall is white.This sentence describes the color of the muro.Tatoeba #13211478 by Guybrush88, translation #9187406 by CK
- Quel muro è freddo.That wall is cold.This sentence describes the temperature of the muro.Tatoeba #1622692 by Guybrush88, translation #1622694 by CM
- La mappa è sul muro.The map is on the wall.This sentence describes the location of an object on the muro.Tatoeba #2422698 by Guybrush88, translation #879581 by CK
- Il vecchio castello era circondato da alte mura.The old castle was surrounded by high walls.
- Le pareti della stanza sono dipinte di un bel colore azzurro.The walls of the room are painted a beautiful shade of blue.
- 262 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Lorenzo and Chiara are looking at their new house garden.
- LorenzoGuarda quel muro di pietra.Look at that stone wall.
- ChiaraSì, è davvero molto resistente.Yes, it is really very sturdy.
- LorenzoDobbiamo riparare il muro domani.We must repair the wall tomorrow.
- ChiaraVa bene, Lorenzo, lo faremo.Okay, Lorenzo, we will do it.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “wall” translations and entries muro, parete, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries muro, parete, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
