Meaning
maiden, damsel; wrasse (fish)
- maiden, damsel (archaic or humorous)
- wrasse (marine fish)
In a sentence
Nel cartone, la donzella aspetta il suo amico.
In the cartoon, the maiden waits for her friend.
Hai visto la donzella vicino agli scogli?
Did you see the wrasse near the rocks?
Non chiamarla donzella, è una ragazza normale.
Don't call her a maiden, she's a normal girl.
Word forms (2)
| Word | Word forms |
|---|---|
| donzella | feminine · singular |
| donzelle | feminine · plural |
Usage notes
- For a young woman in modern Italian, use ragazza or giovane donna. Donzella sounds archaic, literary, or fairy-tale-like.
- It can sound ironic or mocking in modern speech, especially if used for a real person.
- The fish sense is specialized and regional; most learners will only meet donzella in literary or historical contexts.