Meaning
fox, vixen
- a crafty person
In a sentence
La volpe corre veloce nel bosco dietro casa.
The fox runs fast in the woods behind the house.
Hai visto la volpe vicino al fiume ieri?
Did you see the fox near the river yesterday?
Marco è una vera volpe negli affari.
Marco is a real fox in business.
Word forms (2)
| Word | Word forms |
|---|---|
| volpe | feminine · singular |
| volpi | feminine · plural |
Usage notes
- Usually feminine in form: la volpe. For a male animal, Italian still often uses volpe; il volpone is different in tone and often figurative.
- For a sly or crafty person, it's common in everyday speech and can be admiring or critical depending on context.
- Don't confuse it with furbizia: volpe labels the person, while furbizia names the quality or behavior.