This list includes 66 Italian words that start with D, from “da” to “duro”. They range from small function words to common nouns and verbs useful for conversation, reading, and writing.
Italian words that start with D are words beginning with the letter D. They include function words like “da” and descriptors such as “duro”, reflecting Latin roots and regional speech.
Below you’ll find the table with Italian word, English translation, and example usage.
Italian word: The headword in standard Italian spelling, including any accents, so you can match it to texts and lists.
English translation: A concise one-phrase meaning that helps you understand sense and quickly find equivalents in English.
Example usage: A short Italian sentence plus an immediate English gloss that shows the word in natural context.
Italian words that start with D
| Word | Part of speech | English meaning | Example | Description |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| di | preposition | of, from, belonging to | Sono di Roma. — I’m from Rome. | Extremely common preposition used for possession, origin and more. [common] |
| da | preposition | from, by, since, at | Vengo da Milano. — I come from Milan. | Very frequent; indicates origin, agent, purpose, duration. Used in many expressions. [common] |
| dire | verb-infinitive | to say, to tell | Non so cosa dire. — I don’t know what to say. | Core communication verb; irregular. Useful in reported speech and many idioms. [common] |
| dare | verb-infinitive | to give | Voglio dare un regalo. — I want to give a present. | Very common action verb; appears in many constructions (dare a, dare per). [common] |
| dovere | verb-infinitive | to must, to have to; owe | Devo lavorare oggi. — I must work today. | Expresses obligation or probability; also “to owe” in nouns like debito. [common] |
| dove | adverb | where | Dove sei? — Where are you? | Question word for place; also used in relative clauses. [common] |
| dopo | adverb | after, later | Ci vediamo dopo. — We’ll see each other later. | Very frequent temporal adverb/preposition; pairs with prima. [common] |
| durante | preposition | during | Durante il viaggio, leggo. — During the trip, I read. | Formal/neutral preposition used with periods of time. [common] |
| davvero | adverb | really, truly | Davvero? — Really? | Common intensifier or disbelief marker in conversation. [common] |
| davanti | adverb | in front (of), ahead | Sta davanti a me. — He’s in front of me. | Spatial adverb often followed by a/di. [common] |
| dentro | adverb | inside, in | Entra dentro. — Come inside. | Informal spatial adverb; similar to “dentro a”. [common] |
| domani | adverb | tomorrow | Parto domani. — I leave tomorrow. | Very common temporal adverb; used as noun sometimes. [common] |
| donna | noun | woman | È una donna forte. — She is a strong woman. | Everyday noun; feminine, regular. [common] |
| domanda | noun | question, request | Ho una domanda. — I have a question. | Common in spoken and formal contexts; collocates with fare/prendere. [common] |
| difficile | adjective | difficult, hard | È difficile studiare. — It’s hard to study. | High-frequency adjective describing challenge or complexity. [common] |
| direzione | noun | direction, way | Qual è la direzione? — What’s the direction? | Useful for giving/getting directions; common in travel contexts. [common] |
| distanza | noun | distance | La distanza è corta. — The distance is short. | Used in spatial and abstract senses (emotional distance). [common] |
| dipendere | verb-infinitive | to depend | Dipende dal tempo. — It depends on the weather. | Common verb for conditional outcomes; often followed by da. [common] |
| diretto | adjective | direct, non-stop | È un volo diretto. — It’s a direct flight. | Common adjective for routes, communication, speech. [common] |
| dimenticare | verb-infinitive | to forget | Ho dimenticato le chiavi. — I forgot the keys. | Everyday verb; frequently used in passato prossimo. [common] |
| disponibile | adjective | available | È disponibile oggi. — He is available today. | Common in formal and informal contexts about people/things. [common] |
| discutere | verb-infinitive | to discuss, argue | Vogliamo discutere questo. — We want to discuss this. | Used for both calm discussion and debate contexts. [common] |
| dibattito | noun | debate | Il dibattito è acceso. — The debate is heated. | Common in politics, academics, media. [common] |
| documento | noun | document | Firma il documento. — Sign the document. | Everyday noun for papers, files, digital docs. [common] |
| docente | noun | teacher, lecturer | Il docente spiega bene. — The teacher explains well. | Formal term for school/university teachers. [common] |
| dottore | noun | doctor (medical) | Parlo con il dottore. — I speak with the doctor. | Common professional title; feminine form dott.ssa/dottoressa. [common] |
| dolce | adjective | sweet; noun: dessert | Vuoi un dolce? — Do you want a dessert? | Versatile adjective/noun used for taste and treats. [common] |
| dieta | noun | diet | Seguo una dieta. — I follow a diet. | Frequent in contexts of health and nutrition. [common] |
| disagio | noun | discomfort, unease | Sento un disagio. — I feel discomfort. | Used for physical or psychological unease. [common] |
| disastro | noun | disaster | È stato un disastro. — It was a disaster. | Strong, commonly used metaphorically. [common] |
| dispositivo | noun | device | Accendi il dispositivo. — Turn on the device. | Common in tech and everyday contexts. [common] |
| discoteca | noun | nightclub | Andiamo in discoteca? — Shall we go to the club? | Informal, leisure vocabulary. [common] |
| diventare | verb-infinitive | to become | Voglio diventare medico. — I want to become a doctor. | Frequent verb for change or career goals. [common] |
| dividere | verb-infinitive | to divide, to split | Devo dividere il conto. — I must split the bill. | Practical verb for sharing or partitioning. [common] |
| diverso | adjective | different | È diverso da me. — It’s different from me. | Very common descriptor for contrast. [common] |
| divertente | adjective | fun, entertaining | Il film è divertente. — The movie is fun. | Widely used to describe enjoyable experiences. [common] |
| durare | verb-infinitive | to last, to endure | Quanto durerà? — How long will it last? | Useful for time-related questions. [common] |
| dente | noun | tooth | Mi fa male un dente. — I have a toothache. | Everyday body-related vocabulary. [common] |
| dentista | noun | dentist | Ho appuntamento dal dentista. — I have a dentist appointment. | Common professional noun. [common] |
| deposito | noun | deposit, storage | Mettilo nel deposito. — Put it in storage. | Used for goods, money, or storage places. [common] |
| debito | noun | debt | Ho un debito. — I have a debt. | Financial term used in everyday and formal contexts. [common] |
| debole | adjective | weak, faint | Sono un po’ debole. — I’m a bit weak. | Common adjective for physical or metaphorical weakness. [common] |
| decidere | verb-infinitive | to decide | Devo decidere presto. — I must decide soon. | Core verb for choices; regular, high frequency. [common] |
| decisione | noun | decision | Ho preso una decisione. — I made a decision. | Common noun following verbs like prendere, prendere una decisione. [common] |
| decimo | adjective | tenth | È il decimo libro. — It’s the tenth book. | Ordinal number used in lists, dates, rankings. [common] |
| duro | adjective | hard, tough | Questo pane è duro. — This bread is hard. | Common adjective for texture and figurative strength. [common] |
| dolore | noun | pain | Provo dolore al ginocchio. — I feel pain in the knee. | Medical and everyday usage for physical/emotional pain. [common] |
| dormire | verb-infinitive | to sleep | Voglio dormire ora. — I want to sleep now. | Everyday verb; important irregularities in tense. [common] |
| doccia | noun | shower | Faccio la doccia. — I take a shower. | Household vocab used daily. [common] |
| disegno | noun | drawing, design | Mi piace il disegno. — I like drawing. | Artistic term also used for design contexts. [common] |
| disegnare | verb-infinitive | to draw, to design | Sai disegnare bene? — Can you draw well? | Common verb in arts and technical fields. [common] |
| digitale | adjective | digital | Foto digitale chiara. — Clear digital photo. | Frequent in tech and media contexts. [common] |
| diminuire | verb-infinitive | to decrease, to diminish | I prezzi diminuiscono. — Prices are decreasing. | Common in economics, statistics, everyday talk. [common] |
| dipinto | noun | painting | Ammiri il dipinto? — Do you admire the painting? | Common art-related noun; also past participle turned noun. [common] |
| diritto | noun | right; adjective: straight | Hai il diritto. — You have the right. | Legal and spatial meanings; widely used. [common] |
| dote | noun | dowry, talent (rarely) | Ricevette una dote. — He received a dowry. | Historically common; now [uncommon] or literary for “talent”. [uncommon] |
| dubbio | noun | doubt | Ho un dubbio. — I have a doubt. | Everyday word for uncertainty or question. [common] |
| dai | interjection | come on, go on | Dai, andiamo! — Come on, let’s go! | Very colloquial encouragement/exasperation expression. [common] |
| dubbioso | adjective | doubtful, hesitant | Sembrava dubbioso. — He seemed doubtful. | Describes uncertainty in people or reactions. [common] |
| droga | noun | drug | La droga è pericolosa. — Drugs are dangerous. | Common in health and legal contexts. [common] |
| distribuire | verb-infinitive | to distribute, to hand out | Distribuisci i volantini. — Distribute the flyers. | Practical verb in logistics and events. [common] |
| dramma | noun | drama, tragedy | È un vero dramma. — It’s a real drama. | Used for theatrical genre and strong negative events. [common] |
| dazio | noun | customs duty, toll | Hanno pagato il dazio. — They paid the duty. | Formal/legal term; common in historical and trade contexts. [uncommon] |
| diario | noun | diary, journal | Scrivo sul diario. — I write in the diary. | Personal record; common in learning and travel contexts. [common] |
| decadere (rare) | verb-infinitive | to lapse, to decay | I diritti possono decadere. — Rights can lapse. | More formal/legal register; less used colloquially. [rare] |
| destra | noun | right (direction, political) | Gira a destra. — Turn right. | Spatial and political meanings; antonym of sinistra. [common] |