Meaning
elderly, old
In a sentence
Quel signore è molto anziano.
That man is very elderly.
Hai aiutato quella signora anziana con le borse?
Did you help that elderly lady with her bags?
Non è anziano, ma si stanca presto.
He isn't old, but he gets tired जल्दी.
Word forms (4)
| Word | Word forms |
|---|---|
| anziano | masculine · singular |
| anziana | feminine · singular |
| anziani | masculine · plural |
| anziane | feminine · plural |
Usage notes
- For people, anziano is neutral to polite; vecchio can sound blunt or rude unless clearly affectionate or contextual.
- Before a noun, use the short form anzian-: un anziano signore, un'anziana signora. After the noun, use anziano/anziana normally.
- It also means senior by rank or service: il collega più anziano, anzianità di servizio. Don't assume it only refers to age.