Meaning
ray, beam, shaft (of light, etc.)
- spoke (of a wheel)
- radius
In a sentence
Un raggio di sole entra dalla finestra.
A ray of sunlight comes in through the window.
Hai rotto un raggio della bici?
Did you break a spoke on the bike?
Il cerchio ha un raggio di dieci centimetri.
The circle has a radius of ten centimeters.
Word forms (2)
| Word | Word forms |
|---|---|
| raggio | masculine · singular |
| raggi | masculine · plural |
Usage notes
- For geometric or circular distance, use raggio; for a broad area of action, Italian often prefers area rather than raggio.
- In light contexts, raggio is common; fascio suggests a concentrated beam, while bagliore means glow, not a ray.
- For wheel parts, raggio is the spoke. Learners may confuse it with razza, which means breed or race.