Meaning
forest, wood
- wood (material), woodland
- mass, multitude, forest
In a sentence
Abbiamo camminato nella selva per due ore.
We walked in the forest for two hours.
Hai visto che selva di cavi sotto il tavolo?
Did you see that mess of cables under the table?
Non voglio vivere vicino alla selva.
I don't want to live near the woods.
Word forms (2)
| Word | Word forms |
|---|---|
| selva | feminine · singular |
| selve | feminine · plural |
Usage notes
- Usually literary or elevated. In everyday speech, bosco is the normal word for a forest.
- For the figurative sense 'a mass of,' use di: una selva di domande, una selva di cartelli.
- Don't use it for wood as a material in modern everyday Italian; legno is standard.