Italian · Emotions & Descriptions
"Big" in Italian: grande
grande
Big in Italian is grande (GRAHN-deh). It stays grande in masculine and feminine singular, then grandi in the plural. Before some singular nouns it shortens to gran: un gran giorno. For people, alto often means tall rather than big.
Apartment hunt
Cerchiamo una casa grande.Speak with an AI partner · 7 days free
How to pronounce grande
Say it
GRAHN-deh
/ˈgran.de/
Grande stresses GRAHN: GRAHN-deh. The r is a light tap. Final e stays soft.
"Big" in Italian: quick reference
| Italian | English | When to use |
|---|---|---|
| grande | big; large; great Singular for any gender. | Singular for any gender. |
| grandi | big (plural) Plural agreement. | Plural agreement. |
| gran | great; big Short form before some singular nouns. | Short form before some singular nouns. |
| grosso/a | thick; bulky; big Physical bulk more than greatness. | Physical bulk more than greatness. |
How to use grande in real life
- 1Apartment hunt
Cerchiamo una casa grande.
We're looking for a big house.
Grande after the noun is common.
- 2Ordering pizza
Una pizza grande da condividere.
A big pizza to share.
Size on a food order.
- 3Praising a trip
È stato un viaggio grande e lungo.
It was a big, long trip.
Grande after the noun for size/scale.
Mistakes English speakers make with grande
Incorrect: Una casa granda.
Correct: Una casa grande.
Singular stays grande for feminine too; no granda.
Incorrect: Due macchine grande.
Correct: Due macchine grandi.
Plural needs grandi.
Good to know
Grande can mean great as praise (un grande artista) as well as large in size. Context tells you which. For body size, Italians often prefer preciso words like alto, robusto, or in sovrappeso over a blunt grande.
Try it in a ChatPal conversation
Choosing a suitcase in a shop
ChatPal
Vuoi il trolley grande o quello medio?
Do you want the big trolley or the medium one?
You
Il grande. Porto troppi vestiti.
The big one. I'm bringing too many clothes.
ChatPal
Ok. Questo è abbastanza grande per una settimana.
Ok. This is big enough for a week.
You
Perfetto. Meglio troppo grande che troppo pieno.
Perfect. Better too big than too full.
This is a sample. In ChatPal you have this conversation out loud and get feedback on what you say.
Practice this conversation in ChatPal"Big" in other languages
FAQ
Common questions about "Big" in Italian
Does grande change for feminine?
Not in the singular. Casa grande, ragazzo grande. Plural is grandi.
When do I use gran?
Often before singular nouns for style or set phrases: un gran giorno, un gran bel problema.
Is grosso the same as grande?
Not exactly. Grosso stresses bulk or thickness; grande covers size and greatness.
How do I say bigger?
Più grande. Biggest is il/la più grande.
Learn a word, then use it out loud
- Step 1: See it in context
- Step 2: Say it out loud
- Step 3: Get feedback
- Step 4: Use it in real scenarios
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