Meaning
vain, useless, futile
In a sentence
È stato un tentativo vano, ma ci abbiamo provato.
It was a useless attempt, but we tried.
Perché fai domande vane adesso?
Why are you asking pointless questions now?
Tutti i nostri sforzi per convincerlo sono stati vani.
All our efforts to convince him were in vain.
Word forms (4)
| Word | Word forms |
|---|---|
| vano | masculine · singular |
| vana | feminine · singular |
| vani | masculine · plural |
| vane | feminine · plural |
Usage notes
- Most common in fixed phrases like invano or vano tentativo; less common alone in everyday speech than inutile.
- Use vano for efforts, hopes, or attempts that fail; inutile is broader for objects, actions, or advice.
- As an adjective, it agrees normally: vano, vana, vani, vane.