Meaning
tale, story, short story
- information of interest, news
In a sentence
Ho letto una bella novella prima di dormire.
I read a nice short story before sleeping.
Che novella mi porti oggi?
What news do you bring me today?
Questa novella non mi piace per niente.
I don't like this short story at all.
Word forms (2)
| Word | Word forms |
|---|---|
| novella | feminine · singular |
| novelle | feminine · plural |
Usage notes
- For a written fictional work, novella often means a short novel; racconto is the safer choice for a short story in general.
- In modern Italian, novella as “news” is literary or old-fashioned. Use notizia or novità in everyday speech.
- Common in literary contexts, especially older texts like the Decameron. In casual conversation, it can sound bookish.