Italian · People & Family

"Man" in Italian: uomo

l'uomo

Say it: LWOH-mohmasculine · l'uomonoun/ˈwɔ.mo/

Man in Italian is l'uomo (LWOH-moh), masculine. Use un uomo for a man and quell'uomo for that man. The plural uomini is irregular.

At a café

C'è un uomo alla cassa che aspetta.
There's a man at the till waiting.
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How to pronounce uomo

Say it

LWOH-moh

/ˈwɔ.mo/

LWOH-moh after l'. The uo is one glide. Stress on UO.

"Man" in Italian: quick reference

ItalianEnglish
l'uomothe man

Default with the article.

un uomoa man

Introducing someone.

quell'uomothat man

Pointing someone out.

da uomo a uomoman to man

Frank talk.

How to use uomo in real life

  1. 1At a café

    C'è un uomo alla cassa che aspetta.

    There's a man at the till waiting.

    Un uomo for an unidentified man.

  2. 2Giving directions

    Chiedi a quell'uomo con la mappa.

    Ask that man with the map.

    Quell'uomo for pointing.

  3. 3Describing a photo

    L'uomo a sinistra è mio zio.

    The man on the left is my uncle.

    L'uomo with a location.

Mistakes English speakers make with uomo

Incorrect: Il uomo è gentile.

Correct: L'uomo è gentile.

Il + uomo becomes l'uomo.

Incorrect: Una uomo parla.

Correct: Un uomo parla.

Uomo is masculine: un uomo.

Good to know

Uomo is everyday and neutral for an adult male. In signs and politics you also hear diritti dell'uomo for human rights, where uomo covers people in older legal language.

Try it in a ChatPal conversation

Looking for someone at the station

  1. ChatPal

    Vedi un uomo con una valigia rossa?

    Do you see a man with a red suitcase?

  2. You

    Sì: l'uomo vicino al binario tre.

    Yes: the man near platform three.

  3. ChatPal

    Perfetto. Quell'uomo è il nostro autista.

    Perfect. That man is our driver.

  4. You

    Allora saluto l'uomo e gli chiedo l'orario.

    Then I'll greet the man and ask him the time.

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

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"Man" in other languages

FAQ

Common questions about "Man" in Italian

Why l'uomo not il uomo?

Il elides before a vowel sound: l'uomo.

What is the plural?

Uomini—irregular. Keep singular uomo for basic practice.

How do I say a man?

Un uomo.

Is uomo ever formal?

It is neutral. Signore is the polite address form.

Learn a word, then use it out loud

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  4. Step 4: Use it in real scenarios

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