Italian word of the day
| Pronunciation | |
| English translation | Wind |
| Origin | From the Latin word ventus, “wind” |
Different forms of vento
Like most nouns in Italian, vento has two articles (definite or indefinite articles) and two numbers (singular or plural).
| Singular | Plural | |
| Definite | Il vento | I venti |
| Indefinite | Un vento | Dei venti |
Italians never use ventoso, windy, to describe the weather. They just say that “there is wind”.
Examples
| Oggi non c’è vento. | There is no wind today. |
| Il vento ha fatto cadere il vaso sul balcone. | The wind has knocked the pot on the balcony. |
| Ho sentito un vento freddo sul viso. | I felt a cold wind on my face. |
| Il vento era freddo ieri. | The wind was cold yesterday. |
Related words
Soffiare is the verb that translates to blow.
| Il vento che soffia a 100 km/h può danneggiare le tegole dei tetti. | Wind blowing at 100 km/h can damage roof tiles. |
| Il vento soffia forte e si insinua tra le fessure delle persiane. | The wind blows strongly and creeps through the cracks in the shutters. |
The wind in Italian can also spirare, which is a less intense version of “to blow”. That is why this verb is more often used with brezza, breeze.
| Spira una brezza leggera. | A gentle breeze is blowing. |
We then use the reflexive verb alzarsi, to get up or to rise, to say that the wind is rising and increasing.
| Il vento si alza lungo il viale, facendo vorticare le foglie. | The wind picks up along the avenue, making the leaves whirl. |
What kinds of winds are there in Italian?
There are a number of adjectives that are often associated with vento in Italian:
- vento forte (strong wind)
- vento leggero (gentle wind)
- vento caldo (warm wind)
- vento fresco (cool wind)
- vento gelido (icy wind)
- vento asciutto (dry wind)
- vento umido (humid wind)
- vento solare (solar wind)
- vento moderato (moderate wind)
For example, you can say…
| Questo vento caldo arriva dal deserto. | This warm wind comes from the desert. |
| Nel venire qui, un forte vento ha fatto volare via il mio ombrello. | On my way here, a strong wind made my umbrella fly away. |
The wind in Italian is also often accompanied by other nouns to form common collocations, such as:
- bava di vento (light breeze)
- raffica/folata/colpo di vento (gust of wind)
- rosa dei venti (compass rose)
- mulino a vento (windmill)
For example, you can say…
| Una raffica di vento mi ha portato via il cappello! | A gust of wind took my hat away! |
| Una folata di vento gonfia le vele. | A gust of wind swells the sails. |
➡️ Vento can also become venticello to translate “gentle breeze”. Learn how a suffix can describe a noun in the suffixes in Italian lesson!
Common wind types are:
- maestrale (northwest wind)
- scirocco (sirocco)
- tramontana (north wind)
Expressions
There are a number of idiomatic expressions and sayings featuring the word vento in Italian:
| Parlare al vento | To speak uselessly | |
| Essere veloce come il vento | To be as swift as the wind | |
| Navigare col vento in poppa | To sail with a tailwind | |
| Chi semina vento raccoglie tempesta | As you sow, so shall you reap | |
| Andare dove tira il vento | To go where the wind flows” | |
| Qual buon vento ti porta? | What good wind brings you here? |
More free Italian resources
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