Meaning
guard, watchman, caretaker
In a sentence
Il guardiano del museo chiude alle sei.
The museum caretaker closes at six.
Hai visto il guardiano con le pecore?
Did you see the shepherd with the sheep?
Il guardiano non ha aperto il cancello stamattina.
The watchman didn't open the gate this morning.
Word forms (2)
| Word | Word forms |
|---|---|
| guardiano | masculine · singular |
| guardiani | masculine · plural |
Usage notes
- Use guardiano for someone who watches over a place or property; custode is more common for school, museum, or building staff.
- For animals, guardiano sounds literary or old-fashioned; pastore is the usual word for a shepherd.
- Not the normal word for a prison guard or police officer: use guardia, secondino, agente, or poliziotto depending on context.