Italian · People & Family

"Colleague" in Italian: collega

il/la collega

Say it: koh-LEG-gahmasculine / feminine · il/la colleganoun/koˈlɛg.ga/

Colleague in Italian is il collega (m) or la collega (f)—same noun form collega with different articles. Plural is i colleghi / le colleghe.

Office intro

Ti presento un collega del marketing.
I'll introduce a colleague from marketing.
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How to pronounce collega

Say it

koh-LEG-gah

/koˈlɛg.ga/

Collega stresses LEG: koh-LEG-gah. Hard gg sound.

"Colleague" in Italian: quick reference

ItalianEnglish
il collegathe colleague (m)

Male coworker.

la collegathe colleague (f)

Female coworker.

i colleghithe colleagues (m/mixed)

Office group.

collega di lavorowork colleague

Emphasizing work.

How to use collega in real life

  1. 1Office intro

    Ti presento un collega del marketing.

    I'll introduce a colleague from marketing.

    Un collega.

  2. 2Team chat

    La collega ha già inviato il report.

    The colleague already sent the report.

    La collega.

  3. 3After work

    Esco con i colleghi dopo le sei.

    I'm going out with colleagues after six.

    I colleghi.

Mistakes English speakers make with collega

Incorrect: Il collegha.

Correct: Il collega.

Spelling is collega with gg.

Incorrect: La collegue.

Correct: La collega.

Italian form is collega.

Good to know

Italians use collega for peers at work; il capo is the boss. After-work aperitivo with i colleghi is a common social ritual in cities.

Try it in a ChatPal conversation

At the office kitchen

  1. ChatPal

    Hai visto il collega nuovo?

    Have you seen the new colleague?

  2. You

    Sì. La collega del desk vicino è simpatica.

    Yes. The colleague at the next desk is nice.

  3. ChatPal

    Domani pranziamo con i colleghi.

    Tomorrow we're having lunch with the colleagues.

  4. You

    Ci sto. Presentami il collega del piano di sopra.

    I'm in. Introduce me to the colleague upstairs.

This is a sample. In ChatPal you have this conversation out loud and get feedback on what you say.

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"Colleague" in other languages

FAQ

Common questions about "Colleague" in Italian

Same word for men and women?

Yes: collega; only the article changes.

Plural?

I colleghi / le colleghe.

Coworker vs friend?

Collega is work; amico/a is friend.

Boss?

Il capo, not collega.

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