sbadiglio
/zbaˈdiʎ.ʎo/
The English word "yawn" can be translated into Italian as sbadiglio.
sbadiglio is used to refer to both the act of yawning and the noun for a yawn itself.
Meaning: open the mouth and take a deep breath (verb)
Related words
How does it change in a sentence?
The noun sbadiglio is derived from the verb sbadigliare, which is the Italian word for the action of yawning.
How do you pronounce it?
The word has 3 syllables, with the stress on the 2nd syllable. The IPA is /zbaˈdiʎ.ʎo/.
Did you know?
- In many Italian social settings, an unmasked sbadiglio during a serious conversation might be seen as a more significant sign of disrespect than it is in the UK or US.
- In Italian, the word sbadiglio can be used metaphorically to describe something that is tedious or incredibly dull, such as a boring movie.
- The Sicilian variant badagghiu shares the same roots as the standard Italian sbadiglio, showing how the word has traveled across the peninsula's dialects.
Examples in context
- Fece un grande sbadiglio!He gave a big yawn!This sentence illustrates the use of sbadiglio to describe a large yawn.Tatoeba #1481829 by Guybrush88, translation #288312 by tatoebashrek
- Tom fece un grande sbadiglio.Tom gave a big yawn.This sentence shows how to use sbadiglio when referring to Tom's yawn.Tatoeba #6060513 by Guybrush88, translation #3314969 by CK
- Sto sbadigliando.I am yawning.
- Sto sbadigliando molto.I am yawning a lot.
- 4 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Sofia and Matteo are in a boring meeting.
- SofiaSbadiglio così tanto che mi fa male la bocca!I'm yawning so much that my mouth hurts!
- MatteoTi capisco, Sofia, questa riunione è infinita.I understand you, Sofia, this meeting is endless.
- SofiaSpero che finisca presto.I hope it ends soon.
- MatteoSbadiglio anch'io, non ce la faccio più.I'm yawning too, I can't take it anymore.
Sources
- Pronunciation: Wiktionary entry sbadiglio, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries sbadiglio, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
