heypolyglot
Italian

rifugio

/riˈfu.d͡ʒo/noun · masculineB2
Less common · Top 5,000

Meaning

shelter, refuge

In a sentence

Dopo il temporale, abbiamo trovato rifugio al bar.

After the storm, we found shelter in the café.

C'è un rifugio vicino alla stazione?

Is there a shelter near the station?

Non cercare rifugio qui, siamo già in troppi.

Don't look for shelter here, there are already too many of us.

Word forms (2)
WordWord forms
rifugiomasculine · singular
rifugimasculine · plural

Usage notes

  • Use rifugio for a safe place or mountain hut; riparo is more immediate physical cover, and asilo is institutional or legal refuge.
  • Common with in: trovare rifugio in un luogo. Also figurative: trovare rifugio nei libri, nell'arte, nel silenzio.
  • In hiking contexts, rifugio often specifically means an alpine lodge or mountain hut, not just any shelter.

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