Italian · Nature, Animals & Weather

"Dolphin" in Italian: delfino

il delfino

Say it: eel del-FEE-nohmasculine · il delfinonoun/delˈfi.no/

Dolphin in Italian is il delfino (eel del-FEE-noh), masculine: un delfino, i delfini. Boat tours and aquariums use it constantly.

Boat trip

Abbiamo visto un delfino vicino alla barca.
We saw a dolphin near the boat.
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How to pronounce delfino

Say it

eel del-FEE-noh

/delˈfi.no/

Delfino stresses FEE: del-FEE-noh.

"Dolphin" in Italian: quick reference

ItalianEnglish
il delfinothe dolphin

Default noun.

un delfinoa dolphin

Spotting one.

i delfinithe dolphins

A pod.

nuotare come un delfinoto swim like a dolphin

Playful praise.

How to use delfino in real life

  1. 1Boat trip

    Abbiamo visto un delfino vicino alla barca.

    We saw a dolphin near the boat.

    Un delfino.

  2. 2Aquarium

    Il delfino salta fuori dall'acqua.

    The dolphin jumps out of the water.

    Il delfino show moment.

  3. 3Kids' chat

    I delfini sono i miei animali preferiti.

    Dolphins are my favourite animals.

    I delfini plural.

Mistakes English speakers make with delfino

Incorrect: La delfino è veloce.

Correct: Il delfino è veloce.

Delfino is masculine.

Incorrect: Ho visto due delfino.

Correct: Ho visto due delfini.

Plural is delfini.

Good to know

Coastal Italy sells delfino souvenirs and boat tickets promising sightings. Wild encounters feel special; trained aquarium shows are more debated than they used to be.

Try it in a ChatPal conversation

On a coastal excursion boat

  1. ChatPal

    Guarda a sinistra: c'è un delfino!

    Look left: there's a dolphin!

  2. You

    Wow… quel delfino nuota accanto a noi.

    Wow… that dolphin is swimming beside us.

  3. ChatPal

    Forse arrivano altri delfini tra poco.

    Maybe more dolphins are coming soon.

  4. You

    Tengo la fotocamera pronta.

    I'm keeping the camera ready.

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

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"Dolphin" in other languages

FAQ

Common questions about "Dolphin" in Italian

Is delfino masculine?

Yes: il delfino, i delfini.

How do I say a pod of dolphins?

Un gruppo di delfini, or simply i delfini.

Dolphin as a nickname?

Rare—stick to the animal sense unless joking.

Related word?

Delfineria isn't standard; say vasca dei delfini at a park.

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