Meaning · adjective
ancient
In a sentence
Questa casa antica è ancora molto bella.
This ancient house is still very beautiful.
Hai visto quel ponte antico in centro?
Did you see that ancient bridge downtown?
Non ho mai letto un libro così antico.
I have never read such an ancient book.
Word forms (4)
| Word | Word forms |
|---|
| antico | masculine · singular |
| antica | feminine · singular |
| antichi | masculine · plural |
| antiche | feminine · plural |
Usage notes
- Use 'antico' for objects/places with historical value; 'vecchio' is for age without prestige.
- Agrees in gender/number: antico, antica, antichi, antiche. Common mistake: forgetting plural forms.
- Avoid overusing 'antico' for people; 'anziano' is more natural for elderly individuals.
Meaning · noun
antiquity, the ancients
- antiquity, the past
- the ancients (people of the past)
In a sentence
Quel museo unisce con eleganza l'antico e il moderno.
That museum elegantly combines the ancient and the modern.
Il fascino dell'antico attira molti studiosi in questa città.
The charm of antiquity attracts many scholars to this city.
Gli antichi vivevano senza telefono e internet.
The ancients lived without phones and the internet.
Word forms (2)
| Word | Word forms |
|---|
| antico | masculine · singular |
| antichi | masculine · plural |
Usage notes
- As a noun, antico is uncommon alone; you'll more often see the plural gli antichi for ancient peoples.
- Don't confuse noun antico with the adjective antico. Context and articles matter: l'antico, gli antichi.
- For ancient objects or art, Italians often prefer l'antico or cose d'antiquariato in modern usage.
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