Meaning
doorman, goalkeeper
- doorman, concierge
- goalkeeper
In a sentence
Il portiere del palazzo mi ha aperto subito.
The building's doorman opened for me right away.
Dov'è il portiere? Ho perso le chiavi.
Where's the concierge? I lost my keys.
Il portiere ha parato un tiro difficile.
The goalkeeper saved a difficult shot.
Word forms (2)
| Word | Word forms |
|---|---|
| portiere | masculine · singular |
| portieri | masculine · plural |
Usage notes
- Context decides the meaning: in sports it means goalkeeper; in buildings it usually means concierge/doorman.
- For apartment buildings, portiere is more specific than custode, which is broader and often means caretaker or groundskeeper.
- In soccer, Italians usually say portiere, not goalkeeper. Il portiere has regular masculine/feminine forms: il portiere, la portiera.