How do you say dark in Italian?
Il buio
Dark can be either a noun or an adjective.
Buio is the direct translation for dark in Italian when it’s used as a noun. It is uncountable, so it has no plural form and it is preceded only by its definite singular article.
| Origin | From the Latin word burius, “dark red” |
| Pronunciation | /ˈbuːjo/ |
Il buio
The dark
For example, you can say…
Mio fratello più piccolo ha paura del buio.
My younger brother is afraid of the dark.
C’era buio nella stanza, così ho acceso la luce.
It was dark in the room, so I turned on the light.
Quando fa buio, gli animali escono per cacciare.
When it gets dark, the animals come out to hunt.
L’oscurità
In poetry and literary works, you can also use oscurità to translate dark in Italian. This is a feminine noun and again, it is uncountable. You will not often find it in everyday speech.
L’oscurità
The dark
For example, you can say…
Il corridoio era avvolto dall’oscurità.
The corridor was shrouded in darkness.
L’oscurità era molto fitta all’interno della foresta.
The darkness was very thick inside the forest.
Scuro
Scuro is the most common translation for dark in Italian when it’s intended as an adjective. Like all other adjectives in Italian, scuro needs to match the gender (masculine or feminine) and the number (singular or plural) of the noun.
Scuro
Dark (m, sing)
Scuri
Dark (m, pl)
Scura
Dark (f, sing)
Scure
Dark (f, pl)
Scuro
Dark
For example, you can say…
La maglietta è di un bel colore blu scuro.
The T-shirt is of a beautiful dark blue color.
Hai una faccia così scura! È successo qualcosa?
You have such a dark face! Did something happen?
Ho molti nei scuri sulla schiena.
I have many dark moles on my back.
Le foglie di questa pianta sono molto scure.
The leaves of this plant are very dark.
Buio
Buio can also be used as an adjective in Italian. It has a more threatening meaning than scuro.
Buio
Dark (m, sing)
Bui
Dark (m, pl)
Buia
Dark (f, sing)
Buie
Dark (f, pl)
Era una notte buia e tempestosa…
It was a dark and stormy night…
La caverna era buia e umida.
The cave was dark and humid.
Dark in Italian: Related words
L’ombra
The shadow
La notte
The night
La tenebra
The darkness
For example, you can say…
Intravedo un’ombra oltre il vetro opaco della porta.
I can glimpse a shadow behind the opaque glass of the door.
Un tuono rimbombò nel cuore della notte.
Thunder rumbled in the middle of the night.
L’edificio era ammantato nelle tenebre.
The building was shrouded in darkness.
Dark in Italian: Expressions
There are a number of idiomatic expressions featuring the word for dark in Italian. For example:
Buio pesto
Pitch black
Cioccolato fondente
Dark chocolate
Umorismo nero
Dark humor
Capelli scuri
Dark hair
Occhio nero
Dark eye
Pelle scura
Dark skin
For example, you can say…
Non mi piace il cioccolato fondente, preferisco quello al latte.
I don’t like dark chocolate; I prefer milk chocolate.
Marco ha occhi e capelli scuri.
Marco has dark eyes and dark hair.
Vincenzo ha un occhio nero per aver ricevuto un pugno.
Vincenzo has a black eye from having received a punch.
C’è buio pesto qua dentro. Accendi la luce!
It’s pitch black in here. Turn on the light!
Al buio tutti i gatti sono bigi
“All cats are gray in the dark”
Chi nasce di gatta piglia i topi al buio
“Those who are born of a female cat, they catch mice in the dark”
More free Italian resources
You might want to keep learning Italian online with these free Italian resources:
Aiuta Lingookies con un 👍!
❤️ If you liked this lesson on how to say dark in Italian, share it with your friends!