Italian · Nature, Animals & Weather

"Donkey" in Italian: asino

l'asino

Say it: AH-zee-nohmasculine · l'asinonoun/ˈa.zi.no/

Donkey in Italian is l'asino (AH-zee-noh). Plural gli asini. A female donkey is l'asina. The word also appears in stubbornness jokes—use carefully.

Farm visit

I bambini accarezzano l'asino nel recinto.
The kids pet the donkey in the pen.
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How to pronounce asino

Say it

AH-zee-noh

/ˈa.zi.no/

Asino is AH-zee-noh. Stress AH; soft z.

"Donkey" in Italian: quick reference

ItalianEnglish
l'asinothe donkey

Default noun.

un asinoa donkey

Indefinite.

gli asinithe donkeys

Plural.

l'asinathe female donkey

Feminine.

How to use asino in real life

  1. 1Farm visit

    I bambini accarezzano l'asino nel recinto.

    The kids pet the donkey in the pen.

    L'asino.

  2. 2Countryside walk

    Un asino mangia erba vicino al sentiero.

    A donkey is eating grass near the path.

    Un asino.

  3. 3Photo stop

    Quanti asini vedi sul prato?

    How many donkeys do you see in the meadow?

    Asini.

Mistakes English speakers make with asino

Incorrect: Il asino è piccolo.

Correct: L'asino è piccolo.

Elide: l'asino.

Incorrect: Ho visto un donkey.

Correct: Ho visto un asino.

Use asino.

Good to know

Italian islands and hill towns still work with asini for trails. Calling a person asino is an insult about stubbornness—save it for animals.

Try it in a ChatPal conversation

At a petting farm

  1. ChatPal

    Vuoi dare una carota all'asino?

    Want to give a carrot to the donkey?

  2. You

    Sì, ma piano: l'asino sembra nervoso.

    Yes, but slowly: the donkey seems nervous.

  3. ChatPal

    Hai ragione, restiamo fuori dal recinto.

    You're right, let's stay outside the pen.

  4. You

    Ok, scatto solo una foto.

    Ok, I'll just take one photo.

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

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"Donkey" in other languages

FAQ

Common questions about "Donkey" in Italian

How do you say donkey?

L'asino.

Plural?

Gli asini.

Female?

L'asina.

Insult risk?

Yes—calling a person asino is rude.

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