bau
/ˈba.u/
The Italian word for the sound of a dog barking (woof) is bau.
bau is an informal way to approximate the sound of a dog's bark in Italian, similar to saying "bow-wow" in English.
Meaning: the sound of a dog barking (intj)
Which one should you use?
While bau represents a single bark, the colloquial form bau bau is used to represent the sound of continuous barking.
Related words
How do you pronounce it?
The word has two syllables and the stress is on the first syllable. The IPA is /ˈba.u/.
Did you know?
- The sound bau differs significantly from other Romance languages, such as French where a dog says ouaf ouaf or Spanish where it is guau guau.
- In Italy, the term bau bau is sometimes used as a slang noun to refer to the dog itself, especially when speaking to children.
- Italian children often use the phrase fare bau bau to describe the action of barking, literally saying the dog 'does' the sound.
Examples in context
- Bau, bau!Woof, woof!This example is useful for seeing the form bau used in a single repetition.Tatoeba #13355296 by Guybrush88, translation #13243523 by rul
- Bau, bau, bau!Woof, woof, woof!This example shows the form bau used in multiple repetitions.Tatoeba #4824761 by Guybrush88, translation #1636266 by fengli
- Il cane sta abbaiandoThe dog is barking
- Il cane di Silvia abbaiava tutta la notteSilvia's dog was barking all night
Example conversation
Sofia and Lorenzo are watching a small puppy play.
- SofiaGuarda che carino, fa bau!Look how cute, he goes woof!
- LorenzoSì, è proprio un cucciolo buffo.Yes, he is a really funny puppy.
- SofiaBau, bau! Anche io sono un cane!Woof, woof! I am a dog too!
- LorenzoMa che sciocca che sei, Sofia!But you are so silly, Sofia!
Sources
- Wiktionary, “woof” translations and entries bau, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
