Meaning
meter
- metro, subway, underground (feminine: la metro)
- measuring tape; ruler
In a sentence
Mi serve un metro per misurare il tavolo.
I need a ruler to measure the table.
Questa stanza è lunga quattro metri.
This room is four meters long.
Il tavolo è lungo un metro.
The table is one meter long.
Word forms (2)
| Word | Word forms |
|---|---|
| metro | masculine · singular |
| metri | masculine · plural |
Usage notes
- Use 'metro' for length (metre) only in technical/scientific contexts; 'centimetro' or 'chilometro' are more common in daily speech.
- For 'ruler' (measuring tool), 'righello' is more common; 'metro' sounds formal or old-fashioned.
- Avoid confusing 'metro' (subway) with Italian 'metropolitana'; 'metro' alone means 'metre' or 'measure.'