Meaning
country; town
- country
- town, village
In a sentence
Il mio paese è piccolo ma molto tranquillo.
My town is small but very quiet.
In quale paese vivi?
Which country do you live in?
Quest'estate non siamo usciti dal paese.
This summer we didn't leave the town.
Word forms (2)
| Word | Word forms |
|---|---|
| paese | masculine · singular |
| paesi | masculine · plural |
Usage notes
- Use 'paese' for small towns/villages; 'città' for larger cities. 'Nazione' is more formal for 'country'.
- 'Paese' is masculine: 'il paese', not 'la paese'. Plural is 'i paesi'.
- In Southern Italy, 'paese' often means 'hometown' or 'birthplace' with emotional weight.