Italian · People & Family

"Woman" in Italian: donna

la donna

Say it: lah DON-nahfeminine · la donnanoun/ˈdɔn.na/

Woman in Italian is la donna (lah DON-nah), feminine: una donna, le donne. Signora is the polite title when you address someone.

At a conference

Una donna del team presenta il progetto.
A woman from the team is presenting the project.
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How to pronounce donna

Say it

lah DON-nah

/ˈdɔn.na/

DON-nah, stress on DON. Double n. Donne is DON-neh.

"Woman" in Italian: quick reference

ItalianEnglish
la donnathe woman

Adult female.

una donnaa woman

Introducing someone.

le donnethe women

Plural.

quella donnathat woman

Pointing out someone.

How to use donna in real life

  1. 1At a conference

    Una donna del team presenta il progetto.

    A woman from the team is presenting the project.

    Una donna.

  2. 2On the street

    Quella donna ha perso gli occhiali.

    That woman has lost her glasses.

    Quella donna.

  3. 3History class

    Le donne in questa foto sono operaie.

    The women in this photo are workers.

    Le donne plural.

Mistakes English speakers make with donna

Incorrect: Il donna parla.

Correct: La donna parla.

Donna is feminine: la donna.

Incorrect: Ciao, donna Rossi!

Correct: Buongiorno, signora Rossi!

Address people with signora, not donna + surname.

Good to know

Donna is the neutral noun for woman. In greetings, Italians switch to signora for respect. Media and politics talk about diritti delle donne as a set phrase.

Try it in a ChatPal conversation

Finding someone in a crowded lobby

  1. ChatPal

    Cerco una donna con una sciarpa blu.

    I'm looking for a woman with a blue scarf.

  2. You

    La donna vicino alla porta? Ha i capelli corti.

    The woman by the door? She has short hair.

  3. ChatPal

    Sì, è quella donna. Grazie!

    Yes, it's that woman. Thanks!

  4. You

    Vuoi che chiami la donna o aspettiamo qui?

    Do you want me to call the woman or shall we wait here?

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"Woman" in other languages

FAQ

Common questions about "Woman" in Italian

What is the plural of donna?

Le donne.

Is donna a title?

No. Use signora to address someone politely.

How do I say a woman?

Una donna.

What about ragazza?

Ragazza is girl/young woman. Donna is adult woman.

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  4. Step 4: Use it in real scenarios

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