Meaning
rail, track
- Each of the steel bars forming a railway or tram track
- The railway or tram track as a whole
In a sentence
Gli operai stanno riparando una rotaia danneggiata vicino alla stazione.
The workers are repairing a damaged rail near the station.
È pericoloso attraversare le rotaie a piedi fuori dai passaggi consentiti.
It is dangerous to cross the tracks on foot outside permitted crossings.
Il treno regionale non è uscito dalle rotaie grazie alla bassa velocità.
The regional train did not derail thanks to its low speed.
Word forms (2)
| Word | Word forms |
|---|---|
| rotaia | feminine · singular |
| rotaie | feminine · plural |
Usage notes
- The plural is 'rotaie'. In spoken Italian, the plural often refers collectively to the tracks.