perdita di tempo
/ˈpɛr.di.ta di ˈtɛm.po/word by wordfeminine
The English phrase 'waste of time' is expressed in Italian as perdita di tempo. Wiktionary also lists spreco di tempo.
Meaning: pointless or unproductive activity (noun)
Ways to say it
| Italian | IPA | Note |
|---|---|---|
| perdita di tempo | /ˈpɛr.di.ta di ˈtɛm.po/ (word by word) | feminine |
| spreco di tempo | /ˈsprɛ.ko di ˈtɛm.po/ (word by word) | masculine |
Both perdita di tempo and spreco di tempo are used to describe a pointless or unproductive activity.
What does it mean word for word?
Literally, perdita di tempo means a 'loss of time'.
Which one should you use?
perdita di tempo is the most common way to express a waste of time in everyday conversation. You can also use tempo perso to refer to the actual time that has been wasted, such as when saying you have a lot of wasted time.
How does it change in a sentence?
Because perdita is a feminine noun, you must use the feminine indefinite article una when saying 'a waste of time' (una perdita di tempo).
Did you know?
- In Italian, the word perdita is used for both a 'waste' of time and a physical 'leak', such as a water leak in a pipe.
- In Italian, you can describe a person as someone who is una perdita di tempo, implying the person themselves is a waste of time.
- Because tempo comes from the Latin tempus, it is a direct linguistic relative of the English word 'tempo' used in music to describe speed.
Examples in context
- Che perdita di tempo!What a waste of time!Tatoeba #2534287 by Guybrush88, translation #2534274 by CK
- È una perdita di tempo.It's a waste of time.Tatoeba #4853980 by Guybrush88, translation #42348 by CK
- Fu una perdita di tempo.It was a waste of time.Tatoeba #4854000 by Guybrush88, translation #2169236 by Hybrid
- Questa riunione è stata una perdita di tempoThis meeting was a waste of time
- Ho perso tempo a cercare l'oggetto che non esistevaI wasted time searching for an object that didn't exist
- 103 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Sofia and Matteo are discussing a boring movie.
- SofiaQuesto film è una perdita di tempo.This movie is a waste of time.
- MatteoHai ragione, Sofia. Usciamo subito.You are right, Sofia. Let's leave now.
- SofiaSperavo che fosse più interessante.I hoped it would be more interesting.
- MatteoSì, è stata una vera perdita di tempo.Yes, it was a real waste of time.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “waste of time” translations, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- IPA marked “word by word” joins the Wiktionary pronunciations of each word (perdita, di, tempo, spreco) and can differ in connected speech.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
