Meaning
colony
- cologne, eau de cologne
- children's holiday camp (colonia estiva)
In a sentence
Questa colonia era molto lontana dalla capitale.
This colony was very far from the capital.
Hai messo troppa colonia dopo la doccia?
Did you put on too much cologne after the shower?
Non compro mai una colonia troppo forte.
I never buy a cologne that is too strong.
Word forms (2)
| Word | Word forms |
|---|---|
| colonia | feminine · singular |
| colonie | feminine · plural |
Usage notes
- Use colonia for historical or biological colonies. For a neighborhood or settlement, Italian often prefers insediamento or quartiere, depending on context.
- Don't confuse colonia with acqua di colonia, which means eau de cologne, not a political colony.
- In school and historical contexts, you often hear colonia romana, colonia greca, or colonia penale as fixed combinations.