Italian · Everyday Verbs

"to wear" in Italian: indossare

indossare

Say it: een-dohs-SAH-rehverb/indosˈsa.re/

Note: also: portare

To wear in Italian is indossare (een-dohs-SAH-reh). Io indosso, tu indossi, lei indossa. Portare also means wear in speech, but this entry trains indossare.

Getting dressed

Indosso la giacca blu stasera.
I'm wearing the blue jacket tonight.
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How to pronounce indossare

Say it

een-dohs-SAH-reh

/indosˈsa.re/

Indossare stresses SAH: een-dohs-SAH-reh. Double s. Indosso is een-DOHS-soh.

"to wear" in Italian: quick reference

ItalianEnglish
indossareto wear

Clothes, accessories.

indosso / indossi / indossaI wear / you wear / he-she wears

Present singular.

indossiamowe wear

Group outfits.

indossatoworn

Past participle.

How to use indossare in real life

  1. 1Getting dressed

    Indosso la giacca blu stasera.

    I'm wearing the blue jacket tonight.

    Indosso.

  2. 2Advice

    Indossa qualcosa di caldo: tira vento.

    Wear something warm: it's windy.

    Indossa.

  3. 3Event dress code

    Tutti indossano scarpe chiuse.

    Everyone is wearing closed shoes.

    Indossano.

Mistakes English speakers make with indossare

Incorrect: Io indossare un cappotto.

Correct: Indosso un cappotto.

Conjugate: io indosso.

Incorrect: Porto un cappello. (alone for this entry)

Correct: Indosso un cappello. / Porto e indosso un cappello.

For this headword, use indossare in the sentence.

Good to know

Indossare sounds slightly more careful than portare—labels, dress codes, and fashion talk love it. Friends still say porto often in casual chat.

Try it in a ChatPal conversation

Choosing party clothes

  1. ChatPal

    Cosa indossi alla festa?

    What are you wearing to the party?

  2. You

    Indosso la camicia bianca e i jeans.

    I'm wearing the white shirt and jeans.

  3. ChatPal

    Anch'io indosso qualcosa di semplice.

    I'm also wearing something simple.

  4. You

    Bene, così non esageriamo.

    Good, so we don't overdo it.

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"to wear" in other languages

FAQ

Common questions about "to wear" in Italian

How do I say I wear?

Indosso.

Indossare vs portare?

Both can mean wear; indossare is the dedicated clothing verb.

She wears?

Indossa.

Past?

Ho indossato.

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