Italian · Body & Health
"Thumb" in Italian: pollice
il pollice
Thumb in Italian is il pollice (POL-lee-cheh), plural i pollici. Thumbs up is il pollice in su.
Phone typing
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How to pronounce pollice
Say it
POL-lee-cheh
/ˈpɔl.li.tʃe/
Pollice stresses POL: POL-lee-cheh. Soft ce.
"Thumb" in Italian: quick reference
| Italian | English | When to use |
|---|---|---|
| il pollice | the thumb One thumb. | One thumb. |
| i pollici | the thumbs Plural. | Plural. |
| pollice in su | thumbs up Approval gesture. | Approval gesture. |
| mi fa male il pollice | my thumb hurts Injury talk. | Injury talk. |
How to use pollice in real life
- 1Phone typing
Mi fa male il pollice dopo tanti messaggi.
My thumb hurts after so many messages.
Il pollice.
- 2Gesture
Ha fatto il pollice in su dalla macchina.
He gave a thumbs up from the car.
Pollice in su.
- 3Kitchen cut
Ho tagliato il pollice con il coltello.
I cut my thumb with the knife.
Il pollice.
Mistakes English speakers make with pollice
Incorrect: La pollice.
Correct: Il pollice.
Pollice is masculine.
Incorrect: Il thumb.
Correct: Il pollice.
Use pollice.
Good to know
Pollice in su is understood, though Italian gesture culture is rich beyond thumbs. Inch as a measurement is also pollice in technical talk.
Try it in a ChatPal conversation
After a small kitchen accident
ChatPal
Come sta il pollice?
How is the thumb?
You
Il pollice sinistro brucia un po'.
The left thumb stings a bit.
ChatPal
Metti un cerotto sul pollice.
Put a bandage on the thumb.
You
Fatto. Non uso il pollice per tagliare ora.
Done. I'm not using the thumb to cut now.
This is a sample. In ChatPal you have this conversation out loud and get feedback on what you say.
Practice this conversation in ChatPal"Thumb" in other languages
FAQ
Common questions about "Thumb" in Italian
Gender?
Masculine: il pollice, i pollici.
Thumbs up?
Il pollice in su.
Finger?
Il dito; thumb is specifically pollice.
Inch?
Also pollice in measurements.
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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