Italian · Body & Health

"to breathe" in Italian: respirare

respirare

Say it: reh-spee-RAH-rehverb/re.spiˈra.re/

To breathe in Italian is respirare (reh-spee-RAH-reh). Respiro fondo means I breathe deeply. Respira piano is a calm instruction.

Yoga class

Respiro piano dal naso.
I breathe slowly through the nose.
Practice Italian out loud

Speak with an AI partner · 7 days free

How to pronounce respirare

Say it

reh-spee-RAH-reh

/re.spiˈra.re/

Respirare: reh-spee-RAH-reh. Stress RAH. Respiro is reh-SPEE-roh.

"to breathe" in Italian: quick reference

ItalianEnglish
respirareto breathe

Infinitive.

respiro / respiri / respiraI / you / he-she breathe(s)

Present.

respirare a fondoto breathe deeply

Calm or exercise.

non riesco a respirareI can't breathe

Urgency.

How to use respirare in real life

  1. 1Yoga class

    Respiro piano dal naso.

    I breathe slowly through the nose.

    Respiro.

  2. 2After stairs

    Aspetta—devo respirare un attimo.

    Wait—I need to breathe a moment.

    Respirare infinitive.

  3. 3Coach tip

    Respira prima del tiro.

    Breathe before the shot.

    Respira imperative.

Mistakes English speakers make with respirare

Incorrect: Io respirare piano.

Correct: Respiro piano.

Conjugate: respiro.

Incorrect: La respirazione (as the only form on this page)

Correct: Respiro / respira.

Respirazione is the noun; use verb forms here.

Good to know

Respira is what friends say during exams, traffic, and arguments. Fresh-air culture—andiamo a prendere aria—pairs with respirare fuori. Keep la respirazione for medical nouns, not this verb page.

Try it in a ChatPal conversation

Calming nerves before a talk

  1. ChatPal

    Respira con me: uno, due.

    Breathe with me: one, two.

  2. You

    Ok—respiro più lento adesso.

    Ok—I'm breathing slower now.

  3. ChatPal

    Bene. Se serve, respira di nuovo.

    Good. If needed, breathe again.

  4. You

    Entro sul palco.

    I'm going on stage.

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

Practice this conversation in ChatPal

"to breathe" in other languages

FAQ

Common questions about "to breathe" in Italian

I breathe?

Respiro.

Breathe!

Respira!

Deeply?

Respiro a fondo / respiro fondo.

Does respirazione count?

No—conjugate respirare.

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.