mondo
/ˈmon.do/masculine
The Italian word for "world" is mondo.
mondo refers to the inhabited planet. When you are speaking about the world in a general sense, you will almost always precede it with the definite article il, forming il mondo.
Meaning: inhabited planet (noun)
Is it said differently in some regions?
In parts of Naples and the surrounding areas, the colloquial term munno is used as an alternative to mondo.
How does it change in a sentence?
The plural form of mondo is mondi.
How do you pronounce it?
The word has two syllables and is pronounced /ˈmon.do/. The stress is on the first syllable.
Did you know?
- The word mondo shares the same Latin root as the English word 'mundane', which originally described things belonging to the earthly 'world'.
- The word mondo shares its roots with the Latin mundus, which originally meant 'clean' or 'neat'.
- The term mondanità refers to 'worldliness' or high society, specifically the glamorous, superficial aspects of social life.
Examples in context
- Il mondo mi odia.The world hates me.This sentence demonstrates the use of mondo in a sentence about being hated.Tatoeba #2771662 by Guybrush88, translation #2771646 by Hybrid
- È un altro mondo.That's another world.This sentence uses mondo to describe something as being a different world.Tatoeba #13924233 by Guybrush88, translation #13924230 by rul
- È un mondo triste.It's a grim world.This sentence uses mondo to describe a world as being grim.Tatoeba #3635773 by Guybrush88, translation #239487 by CM
- Il progresso scientifico ha reso il mondo un posto migliore.Scientific progress has made the world a better place.
- Ho viaggiato in diversi paesi del pianeta.I have traveled to various countries around the world.
- 1115 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Chiara and Matteo are looking at a globe in a classroom.
- ChiaraIl mondo è molto grande.The world is very large.
- MatteoSì, e ci sono molti paesi.Yes, and there are many countries.
- ChiaraVorrei viaggiare per tutto il mondo.I would like to travel around the whole world.
- MatteoSarebbe un'avventura incredibile per te.It would be an incredible adventure for you.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “world” translations and entries mondo, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries mondo, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
