Italian · Nature, Animals & Weather

"Penguin" in Italian: pinguino

il pinguino

Say it: peen-GWEE-nohmasculine · il pinguinonoun/piŋˈɡwi.no/

Penguin in Italian is il pinguino (peen-GWEE-noh), masculine. Plural is i pinguini. Soft g before u? Here gu = gw before i.

At the aquarium

Il pinguino nuota sotto il ghiaccio.
The penguin swims under the ice.
Practice Italian out loud

Speak with an AI partner · 7 days free

How to pronounce pinguino

Say it

peen-GWEE-noh

/piŋˈɡwi.no/

Pinguino stresses GWEE: peen-GWEE-noh. Gui like gwee.

"Penguin" in Italian: quick reference

ItalianEnglish
il pinguinothe penguin

Default noun.

i pinguinipenguins

Plural.

un pinguino piccoloa little penguin

Kids' talk.

colonia di pinguinipenguin colony

Nature documentaries.

How to use pinguino in real life

  1. 1At the aquarium

    Il pinguino nuota sotto il ghiaccio.

    The penguin swims under the ice.

    Il pinguino.

  2. 2Kids pointing

    Guarda quei pinguini sul bordo!

    Look at those penguins on the edge!

    Pinguini.

  3. 3Stuffed toy

    Vuoi il pinguino di peluche?

    Want the stuffed penguin?

    Il pinguino.

Mistakes English speakers make with pinguino

Incorrect: La pinguino è carina.

Correct: Il pinguino è carino.

Pinguino is masculine.

Incorrect: Vedo due penguins.

Correct: Vedo due pinguini.

Use pinguini, not English penguins.

Good to know

Pinguino is a soft kids'-zoo word Italians love in winter ads and cartoons. Adults use it for cute cold-weather branding too.

Try it in a ChatPal conversation

Watching a nature clip

  1. ChatPal

    Hai visto il pinguino che scivola?

    Did you see the penguin sliding?

  2. You

    Sì, quel pinguino è velocissimo.

    Yes, that penguin is super fast.

  3. ChatPal

    I pinguini sembrano felici lì.

    The penguins look happy there.

  4. You

    Vorrei vederli dal vivo.

    I'd like to see them in person.

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

Practice this conversation in ChatPal

"Penguin" in other languages

FAQ

Common questions about "Penguin" in Italian

Gender?

Masculine: il pinguino.

Plural?

I pinguini.

Pronunciation?

peen-GWEE-noh.

Baby penguin?

Un piccolo pinguino / un cucciolo di pinguino.

Learn a word, then use it out loud

  1. Step 1: See it in context
  2. Step 2: Say it out loud
  3. Step 3: Get feedback
  4. Step 4: Use it in real scenarios

Keep reading

Ready to say it out loud?

ChatPal is a voice-first app for practicing real conversations in Italian. Try real scenarios and get personalized feedback on your speaking.

Start with 7 days free.