Specchio
NOUN [masculine]
Meaning and English translation 🔖
Mirror
🇬🇧 A surface, typically of glass coated with a metal amalgam, that reflects a clear image.
🇮🇹 Superficie, solitamente in vetro e rivestita in metallo, che riflette un’immagine nitida.
| Masculine ♂️ | Feminine ♀️ | |
|---|---|---|
| Singular | lo - uno specchio | - |
| Plural | gli - degli specchi | - |
Example sentences 💬
Lo specchio nel bagno è appannato.
The mirror in the bathroom is fogged up.
Gli specchi nella sala da ballo erano decorati magnificamente.
The mirrors in the ballroom were beautifully decorated.
Quel piccolo specchio è perfetto per il mio trucco.
That small mirror is perfect for my makeup.
Ho rotto lo specchietto destro della mia macchina.
I broke my car's right mirror.
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Idioms with specchio 🇮🇹
Arrampicarsi sugli specchi
→ To clutch at straws
Questa motivazione non regge, ti stai arrampicando sugli specchi.
This reasoning doesn’t hold — you’re clutching at straws.
Specchio dei tempi
→ Sign of the times
Quella serie TV è lo specchio dei tempi moderni.
That TV series is a mirror of modern times.
Tenere la casa come uno specchio
→ Keeping the house spotless
Sabrina tiene la casa come uno specchio: è sempre tutto pulito e in ordine.
Sabrina keeps the house spotless: everything is always clean and tidy.
Gli occhi sono lo specchio dell’anima
→ Eyes are the window to the soul
I suoi occhi tristi dicevano più delle sue parole. Gli occhi sono lo specchio dell’anima.
Her sad eyes said more than her words. The eyes are the mirror of the soul.
Il mare oggi è uno specchio
→ Today, the sea is mirror calm.
Il mare oggi è uno specchio, perfetto per uscire in barca.
The sea is mirror calm today, perfect for a boat trip.
Where does the word specchio come from? 🔎
The Italian word specchio derives from the Latin "speculum," which also means "mirror." The Latin root is closely tied to the verb "specere," meaning to look or to see, underlining the mirror's function as an object of reflection.
Did you know that... 🤓
Impress your italian friends with curious facts about Italy and its culture
• In Rome, mirrors are used in a very original (and convenient) way to admire the beautiful frescoes decorating two beautiful churches: Sant’Ignazio di Loyola and Sant’Andrea della Valle.
The viewer, instead of standing with their nose in the air, with inevitable neck problems, looks quietly through a large mirror placed at the base.
• In Italian, Mirror, servant of my desires is translated into Specchio, servo delle mie brame. The assonance between the words Specchio and Servo has caused many Italians to think that the Evil Queen pronounces Specchio specchio delle mie brame.
Ask your Italian friends: most will be surprised when they hear the truth and will go to check immediately.
