Stoffa
NOUN [feminine]
Meaning and English translation 🔖
Fabric
🇬🇧 It refers to any fabric or textile material.
It is used in various contexts, from clothing and upholstery to metaphorically describing a person's qualities or abilities.
🇮🇹 Si riferisce a qualsiasi tessuto o materiale tessile.
È usato in vari contesti, dall’abbigliamento all’arredamento, fino a descrivere in senso figurato le qualità o le capacità di una persona.
| Masculine ♂️ | Feminine ♀️ | |
|---|---|---|
| Singular | - | la - una stoffa |
| Plural | - | le - delle stoffe |
Example sentences 💬
La stoffa di questo vestito è molto pregiata.
The fabric of this dress is very fine.
Ho comprato della stoffa per fare delle tende nuove.
I bought some fabric to make new curtains.
Vorrebbe fare il ballerino ma non ha la stoffa.
He wants to be a dancer, but he doesn't have the talent.
Hai della stoffa!
You have talent!
Lei ha la stoffa per diventare una grande giornalista.
She has the makings of a fine journalist.
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Idioms with stoffa 🇮🇹
Avere la stoffa
→ To have what it takes / To have talent
Ha la stoffa per diventare un grande attore.
He has what it takes to become a great actor.
Avere la stoffa di...
→ To have the makings of…
Già da piccolo mostrava di avere la stoffa di un leader.
Even as a child, he showed the makings of a leader.
Where does the word stoffa come from? 🔎
Stoffa comes from the Old French "estoffe”.
Did you know that... 🤓
Surprise your italian friends with curious facts about Italy and its culture
Today, we celebrate the birth anniversary of Dante Cavazzini, born on May 27, 1890. A successful fabric merchant, renowned philanthropist, and arts patron, Cavazzini's life journey is inspiring and remarkable (and you can visit his house-museum!).
From humble beginnings to fabric merchant
Dante Cavazzini's deep connection to stoffa began early in his life. Born into a modest family, he started working at a young age and moved to Milan as a teenager. Here, he worked as a sales assistant in a fabric store, gaining valuable textile industry experience. This experience proved formative and laid the foundation for his future success in the fabric business.
Establishing a legacy in Udine
After serving in both the Libyan War and World War I, Cavazzini returned to Milan and began his own fabric business. His entrepreneurial spirit took him to Vienna, and on one of these trips, he discovered Udine (a city in the northeast), which became the center of his commercial activities. In 1922, he opened a fabric shop called Al Ribasso [At a Discount] in Udine, selling textiles, linens, and silks. His business flourished, and he later opened a second luxurious store named L’Arredamento [The Furniture] in 1933.
Casa Cavazzini: A cultural landmark you can visit
In 1937, Cavazzini commissioned the young artist Afro Basaldella and his colleagues to create a series of frescoes in his home in Udine. This residence, known as Casa Cavazzini, was later donated to the city by his widow, Aminta Flebus, and transformed into the Museum of Modern and Contemporary Art. The museum, which opened in 2012, showcases the restored frescoes and serves as a cultural hub featuring works by renowned artists.
Dante Cavazzini's life is a testament to the true meaning of "stoffa"—the fabric he worked with in his business and the qualities of resilience, generosity, and vision that defined his character.
