Meaning
maiden, girl, young woman
- maiden, young woman, girl (literary/poetic)
In a sentence
Nelle fiabe classiche c'è spesso una fanciulla da salvare.
In classic fairy tales there is often a maiden to be rescued.
Il poeta dedicò molti versi a una dolce fanciulla.
The poet dedicated many verses to a sweet maiden.
Era una bella fanciulla dai lunghi capelli castani.
She was a beautiful maiden with long brown hair.
Word forms (2)
| Word | Word forms |
|---|---|
| fanciulla | feminine · singular |
| fanciulle | feminine · plural |
Usage notes
- Literary or old-fashioned; in everyday speech, use ragazza for a girl or young woman.
- Can sound poetic, fairy-tale-like, or ironic in modern Italian; avoid it in neutral conversation.
- Not the normal word for a child; bambina is better for a little girl.