heypolyglot
Italian

schiavo

/ˈskja.vo/noun · masculineB2
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Meaning

slave

In a sentence

Non voglio essere schiavo del mio telefono.

I don't want to be a slave to my phone.

Gli schiavi hanno lavorato tutto il giorno.

The slaves worked all day.

Ti senti schiavo del lavoro anche tu?

Do you feel like a slave to work too?

Word forms (2)
WordWord forms
schiavomasculine · singular
schiavimasculine · plural

Usage notes

  • Often used figuratively with di: essere schiavo del lavoro, del telefono. This is very common in everyday Italian.
  • For historical or legal contexts, schiavo is standard. In modern exploitation contexts, vittima di tratta or persona ridotta in schiavitù may sound more precise.
  • Agreement is regular: schiavo/schiava, schiavi/schiave. Don’t confuse it with the adjective in expressions like lavoro schiavo.

Related words

Opposites

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