Giovane
/ˈd͡ʒo.va.ne/
The English word "young" translates to Giovane in Italian.
Giovane is the most common and versatile translation for "young" in Italian. It is used to describe people belonging to the early part of life. While Giovane describes a person, the related adjective giovanile is used to describe things related to youth, such as a youthful look.
Meaning: belonging in the early part of life (adj)
Which one should you use?
Use Giovane when describing a person's age. Use giovanile when you wish to describe things or characteristics that are youthful or juvenile.
How does it change in a sentence?
In the singular, Giovane is invariable for gender, meaning it remains the same whether the subject is masculine or feminine. To express "young" in the plural, use giovani for both masculine and feminine subjects. For specific nouns, note that ragazzo means boy and ragazza means girl.
How do you pronounce it?
The word has 3 syllables, with the stress on the 1st syllable. The IPA is /ˈdʒo.va.ne/.
Did you know?
- The term giovane is a direct descendant of the Latin word iuvenis, which is the ancestor of the English word 'juvenile'.
- The word gioventù serves as both a noun for the period of 'youth' and a way to address a whole group of young people collectively.
- The adjective giovanile is used in Italian law to describe 'juvenile' courts, moving beyond just a 'youthful' description to a specific legal status.
Examples in context
- È giovane e sexy.She's young and sexy.This sentence uses Giovane to describe a person's age and attractiveness.Tatoeba #4243559 by Guybrush88, translation #2020939 by Spamster
- Non è più giovane.You're not young anymore.This sentence uses Giovane to express that someone is no longer young.Tatoeba #1328432 by Guybrush88, translation #1328425 by Scott
- Lui non è giovane.He is not young.This sentence uses Giovane to state that a person is not young.Tatoeba #1832734 by Guybrush88, translation #1774788 by jandrade
- Un'azienda giovaneA young company
- I giovani studentiThe young students
- Giovani professionistiYoung professionals
- Giovani artistiYoung artists
- Il giovane signoreThe young sir
- Il giovincello curiosoThe curious youngster
- I giovincelli speranzosiThe hopeful youngsters
- 947 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Giulia and Francesco are talking about a new coworker.
- GiuliaIl nuovo collega è molto giovane.The new colleague is very young.
- FrancescoSì, è un ragazzo molto bravo.Yes, he is a very good guy.
- GiuliaSembra quasi un bambino.He almost looks like a child.
- FrancescoPerò è molto professionale.But he is very professional.
Sources
- Pronunciation from the Wiktionary entry giovane.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries Giovane, giovane, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
