legno
/ˈleɲ.ɲo/masculine
The English word 'wood' is translated into Italian as legno.
legno is the common and neutral word for the substance or material. For example, you can say legno di olivo for olive wood, legno compensato for plywood or tavolo di legno massello for a solid wood table. To describe an object made of this material, use the preposition di before the word, such as di legno (made of wood). While legno refers to the material itself, the word bosco is used instead when you want to refer to a forest or a collection of trees.
Meaning: substance (noun)
Which one should you use?
Use legno to refer to the substance or material. In contrast, use legname when you want to emphasize wood specifically as a raw material or lumber. For a small or delicate piece of wood, you might use the informal term legnuzzo.
Related words
How does it change in a sentence?
legno is a masculine noun. Its plural form is legni.
How do you pronounce it?
The pronunciation is /ˈleɲ.ɲo/. It has two syllables, with the stress on the first syllable.
Did you know?
- In Italian, calling someone di legno can describe a person who is stiff, awkward or lacks emotion, similar to the English phrase 'wooden'.
- In old Italian maritime language, legno was occasionally used as a synonym for a ship, referring to the vessel as a 'piece of wood'.
- The Italian word legno shares its roots with the English word 'lignin', the organic polymer that gives trees their structural strength.
Examples in context
- La casa è di legno.The house is made of wood.This sentence shows how to say a house is made of wood using legno.Tatoeba #10885114 by dnnywld, translation #10895515 by Eccles17
- La sedia è di legno.The chair is made of wood.This sentence shows how to say a chair is made of wood using legno.Tatoeba #1544060 by Guybrush88, translation #1629472 by CM
- Il legno è tagliato.The wood is cut.This sentence shows the use of legno when describing cut wood.Tatoeba #11965325 by Guybrush88, translation #11965323 by puppetshow
- Il tavolo è fatto di legno.The table is made of wood.
- Ho bisogno di comprare del legname per costruire una nuova libreria.I need to buy some wood to build a new bookshelf.
- Ho regalato alla mia amica una scatola di legno intagliata a mano.I gave my friend a hand-carved wooden box as a gift.
- 77 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Sofia and Francesco are looking at a new dining table.
- SofiaÈ un tavolo di legno molto bello.It is a very beautiful wooden table.
- FrancescoSì, il legno sembra di ottima qualità.Yes, the wood looks like high quality.
- SofiaFrancesco, preferisci il legno scuro o chiaro?Francesco, do you prefer dark or light wood?
- FrancescoPreferisco il legno scuro per la nostra cucina.I prefer dark wood for our kitchen.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “wood” translations and entries legno, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries legno, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
