Meaning
to contract
- to contract, tense (muscles)
- to catch, come down with (a disease)
- to incur (debts)
- to enter into (a marriage, contract)
In a sentence
Non contrarre le spalle, rilassati un attimo.
Don't tense your shoulders, relax a moment.
Hai contratto l'influenza durante il viaggio?
Did you catch the flu during the trip?
Hanno deciso di contrarre matrimonio a giugno.
They decided to get married in June.
Word forms (1)
| Word | Word forms |
|---|---|
| contratto | past · participle |
Usage notes
- Common in formal or written Italian. In everyday speech, speakers often prefer prendere for illnesses and fare for contracts or marriage.
- For diseases, use avere with the past participle: ha contratto l'influenza. Avoid using essere.
- It is irregular: contraggo, contrai, contratto. Learners often confuse the past participle contratto with the noun/adjective contratto.