Meaning
front door, main door
- front door, main entrance (of a building)
- large outer door, gate
In a sentence
Il portone è aperto, puoi entrare subito.
The entrance door is open, you can come in right away.
Hai chiuso bene il portone del palazzo?
Did you close the building's front door properly?
Non ho trovato il portone giusto ieri sera.
I didn't find the right entrance last night.
Word forms (2)
| Word | Word forms |
|---|---|
| portone | masculine · singular |
| portoni | masculine · plural |
Usage notes
- Use portone for a large main building door, especially apartment blocks or historic buildings; use porta for an ordinary door.
- Often masculine singular: il portone. The augmentative ending -one suggests size, but portone is a fixed everyday word, not always expressive.
- Common with apartment buildings: portone del palazzo, portone del condominio. Less natural for interior doors.