Meaning
bank, shore, side
- bank, shore (of a river or lake)
- side, edge (of a bed, billiard table)
- (figurative) backing, support
In a sentence
Ci siamo seduti sulla sponda del fiume.
We sat on the riverbank.
La palla è finita sotto la sponda del letto.
The ball ended up under the side of the bed.
Vuoi camminare sulla sponda del lago?
Do you want to walk along the lakeshore?
Word forms (2)
| Word | Word forms |
|---|---|
| sponda | feminine · singular |
| sponde | feminine · plural |
Usage notes
- For a river, sponda is the edge; riva is more general and common for lakes or the sea.
- Use sponda for figurative support too: dare sponda a qualcuno means to back someone up, often in argument.
- In furniture, sponda usually means a side rail or bed side, not the whole bed frame.