Meaning
courtyard
- forecourt
- farmyard
In a sentence
I bambini giocano nel cortile della scuola.
The children play in the school courtyard.
Hai lasciato la bici nel cortile davanti?
Did you leave the bike in the forecourt out front?
Nel cortile della fattoria non ci sono galline.
There are no chickens in the farmyard.
Word forms (2)
| Word | Word forms |
|---|---|
| cortile | masculine · singular |
| cortili | masculine · plural |
Usage notes
- Use cortile for an enclosed open area inside or behind buildings; piazzale is a larger open paved area, often public or in front.
- For a private house garden, giardino is usually better. Cortile suggests paving or a shared building space, not a green yard.
- In apartment buildings, cortile often means the shared inner courtyard. With farms, aia can be more traditional or rural than cortile.