Italian · Nature, Animals & Weather
"Dog" in Italian: cane
il cane
Italians call a dog il cane (KAH-neh). It is a masculine noun, and the plural is i cani. For a puppy, say il cucciolo, and for a small or cute dog, il cagnolino.
Meeting a dog on the street
Che carino! Come si chiama il tuo cane?Speak with an AI partner · 7 days free
How to pronounce cane
Say it
KAH-neh
/ˈka.ne/
Say cane as two clear syllables, KAH-neh, with the first one stressed. The final e is always pronounced, so it never sounds like English "cane". The a is open, as in "father".
"Dog" in Italian: quick reference
| Italian | English | When to use |
|---|---|---|
| il cane | dog The general word for any dog, male or female. | The general word for any dog, male or female. |
| i cani | dogs The plural: -e changes to -i. | The plural: -e changes to -i. |
| il cagnolino | little dog, doggy Affectionate, for small dogs. For a female one: la cagnolina. | Affectionate, for small dogs. For a female one: la cagnolina. |
| il cucciolo | puppy A young dog, and also a baby of many other animals. | A young dog, and also a baby of many other animals. |
| Attenti al cane | Beware of the dog The warning you see on gates and garden walls. | The warning you see on gates and garden walls. |
How to use cane in real life
- 1Meeting a dog on the street
Che carino! Come si chiama il tuo cane?
How cute! What's your dog's name?
Come si chiama? works for pets as well as people.
- 2Before petting someone's dog
Posso accarezzare il cane? È buono?
Can I pet the dog? Is he friendly?
È buono? (is he good?) is how Italians ask if a dog is friendly.
- 3Booking a holiday
Portiamo anche il cane, l'hotel accetta gli animali.
We're bringing the dog too, the hotel accepts pets.
When booking, look for the phrase animali ammessi (pets allowed).
Mistakes English speakers make with cane
Incorrect: Ho due cane.
Correct: Ho due cani.
Nouns ending in -e change to -i in the plural: un cane, due cani.
Incorrect: La cane di Giulia è piccola.
Correct: Il cane di Giulia è piccolo.
Cane is masculine, even when the dog is female, so the article and adjective stay masculine.
Good to know
Beware-of-the-dog signs have a long history in Italy: a famous mosaic in Pompeii shows a chained dog with the Latin words cave canem. Today the same warning, attenti al cane, hangs on gates all over the country. Dogs are also a common sight in many shops and on café terraces, usually on a lead.
Try it in a ChatPal conversation
Chatting with a dog owner at a park in Rome
ChatPal
Buongiorno! Attenzione, il mio cane è molto curioso.
Good morning! Careful, my dog is very curious.
You
Non si preoccupi, adoro gli animali! Come si chiama?
Don't worry, I love animals! What's his name?
ChatPal
Si chiama Birba. Ha solo un anno, è ancora un cucciolo.
His name is Birba. He's only one, he's still a puppy.
You
Che bel cane! Posso accarezzarlo?
What a beautiful dog! Can I pet him?
This is a sample. In ChatPal you have this conversation out loud and get feedback on what you say.
Practice this conversation in ChatPal"Dog" in other languages
FAQ
Common questions about "Dog" in Italian
Is cane masculine or feminine?
Cane is masculine: il cane, un cane. It's the normal word for any dog. To be specific about a female, you can say un cane femmina, or la cagnolina for a small one.
Why shouldn't I call a female dog cagna?
Cagna is the dictionary word for a female dog, but it is also a strong insult for a woman. Most people avoid it and say cagnolina or simply cane.
How do you say puppy in Italian?
Il cucciolo, or la cucciola for a female. People also use cucciolo as a pet name for children and partners.
What sound does a dog make in Italian?
Italian dogs say bau bau. The verb for barking is abbaiare: il cane abbaia tutta la notte (the dog barks all night).
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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