Meaning
the Virgin Mary
- the Virgin Mary, Madonna (also an image or statue of her)
- honorific title used to address women (archaic)
In a sentence
Nella chiesa c'è una statua antica della Madonna.
In the church there is an ancient statue of the Virgin Mary.
Ha chiamato la madonna del terzo piano?
Did you call the lady on the third floor?
Non conosco quella madonna con il cappotto rosso.
I don't know that lady in the red coat.
Word forms (2)
| Word | Word forms |
|---|---|
| madonna | feminine · singular |
| madonne | feminine · plural |
Usage notes
- Mostly archaic or literary as a title before a woman’s name; in modern Italian signora is the normal respectful form.
- Capitalized Madonna usually refers to the Virgin Mary or Marian art; lowercase madonna can sound old-fashioned outside religious contexts.
- Do not confuse it with the exclamation Madonna!, which is very common in speech and separate from the honorific use.