zoo
/ˈd͡zɔ.o/masculine
In Italian, 'zoo' is translated as zoo.
The word zoo refers to a park where animals are exhibited. You may also encounter the adjective zoologico, which means 'zoological'.
Meaning: park where live animals are exhibited (noun)
How does it change in a sentence?
Because zoo begins with a pronounced 'z' sound (/dz/), it uses the masculine article lo instead of the standard il (e.g., lo zoo).
How do you pronounce it?
The word has two syllables and the stress is on the first syllable: /ˈdzɔ.o/.
Did you know?
- The word zoo shares a root with zodiaco (zodiac), as both derive from the Greek word for 'animal'.
- If an Italian refers to a bioparco, they are specifically talking about a modern zoo that focuses on conservation and biodiversity rather than just exhibition.
- The term giardino zoologico literally translates to 'zoological garden', reflecting the European tradition of these sites starting as private botanical collections.
Examples in context
- Tom è allo zoo.Tom is at the zoo.This sentence shows how to say someone is at the zoo using zoo.Tatoeba #13345436 by Guybrush88, translation #9028630 by CK
- Sa dov'è lo zoo?Do you know where the zoo is?This sentence asks for the location of the zoo using zoo.Tatoeba #12386937 by Guybrush88, translation #3793450 by Seael
- Lo zoo è aperto.The zoo is open.This sentence describes the status of the zoo being open using zoo.Tatoeba #13345298 by Guybrush88, translation #12285279 by Adelpa
- Il giardino zoologico di Roma ospita una grande varietà di animali.The Rome zoological garden houses a great variety of animals.
- È un po' fuori città, ma il nuovo zoo è fantastico!It's a bit outside the city, but the new zoo is fantastic!
- 774 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Sofia and Lorenzo are deciding what to do for the day.
- SofiaAndiamo allo zoo oggi?Shall we go to the zoo today?
- LorenzoSì, mi piace molto lo zoo.Yes, I like the zoo very much.
- SofiaPreferisci andare allo zoo o al parco?Do you prefer going to the zoo or the park?
- LorenzoScegliamo lo zoo, Lorenzo vuole vedere le giraffe.Let's choose the zoo, Lorenzo wants to see the giraffes.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “zoo” translations and entries zoo, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
