Day in Italian is usually giorno. The plural is giorni. You will also hear giornata, especially when describing how a day went or what someone did during it. Learning a few expressions such as ogni giorno, “every day,” and tutto il giorno, “all day,” will help you use the word in everyday conversation.
Quick answer:
Day = giorno; days = giorni. “Every day” is ogni giorno, and “Have a good day” is Buona giornata!
How Do You Say Day in Italian?
Giorno is the basic word for “day.” It can refer to a calendar day, a period of twenty-four hours, or daytime in contrast with night, depending on the sentence. Un giorno means “one day” or “a day,” while due giorni means “two days.”
Plural: giorni
Use an article when the phrase needs one: il giorno, “the day,” and i giorni, “the days.” Some common expressions follow a different pattern, such as ogni giorno, which does not add an article between the two words. Learn these expressions as complete units.
A single English word does not always map neatly onto a single Italian noun. Giorno is the best general starting point, but giornata is natural in many descriptions of a day’s activities or quality. The choice depends on what you want to emphasize, and the two words can overlap.
Italian Words and Phrases for Day
1. Giorno — Day
Giorno is useful for counting days and locating something on a calendar. Resto qui per tre giorni means “I’m staying here for three days.” Che giorno è oggi? means “What day is it today?” The plural ending -i is important when the quantity is more than one.
It also appears in di giorno, meaning “during the day” or “in the daytime.” Lavoro di giorno means “I work during the day.” The contrasting expression is di notte, “at night.”
2. Giornata — A Day as an Experience
Giornata is often used when discussing how a day was spent or what it was like. È stata una bella giornata means “It was a lovely day.” The Treccani entry for giornata includes the day considered in relation to its activities, events, or conditions.
Giornata is feminine, with the plural giornate. Compare un giorno lungo and una giornata lunga. Both can describe a long day, but the second naturally directs attention to the day as a period someone experienced. Do not treat the distinction as a strict separation with no shared uses.
3. Ogni Giorno — Every Day
Ogni giorno means “every day.” Studio italiano ogni giorno means “I study Italian every day.” After ogni, use the singular noun giorno, rather than giorni. The expression refers to each day individually.
Another common way to express the same regular frequency is tutti i giorni. This uses a plural structure: Cammino tutti i giorni — “I walk every day.” Keep its three parts together; do not mix the singular pattern of ogni giorno with the plural pattern of tutti i giorni.
4. Tutto il Giorno — All Day
Tutto il giorno means “all day.” It concerns the extent of time within a day, rather than how often an action repeats across many days. Ho lavorato tutto il giorno means “I worked all day.”
You can also say tutta la giornata. The agreement changes because giornata is feminine. Compare ogni giorno, “every day,” with tutto il giorno, “all day”: studying every day does not necessarily mean studying from morning until evening.
Day in Italian: Quick Comparison
← Swipe horizontally to see the full table →
| Italian | English | What to remember |
|---|---|---|
| giorno / giorni | day / days | Masculine; useful for counting |
| giornata / giornate | day / days | Feminine; often a day as experienced |
| ogni giorno | every day | Singular noun after ogni |
| tutti i giorni | every day | Plural phrase with article |
| tutto il giorno | all day | The extent of one day |
| di giorno | during the day | Daytime rather than night |
| un giorno | one day / a day | Meaning depends on the sentence |
| Buona giornata! | Have a good day! | A common parting wish |
How to Pronounce Giorno
Giorno sounds approximately like JOR-noh, with stress on the first syllable. The initial gi makes a sound like the English j in “job.” The written i helps indicate that sound and is not pronounced as a separate “ee” syllable here.
The final o is a clear vowel, and the Italian r may be tapped or trilled. Avoid adding a strong English-style r or turning the ending into a long “ohw.” Giorni changes the final vowel to i, approximately “JOR-nee.”
Giornata has its main stress later: approximately jor-NAH-tah. Practice buona giornata as a whole phrase. The English sound guides are approximate, so use the audio to hear how the vowels connect.
Singular, Plural, and Gender
Giorno is masculine, and giornata is feminine. Articles and adjectives follow that grammatical gender. The fact that both words can be translated as “day” does not make their surrounding forms interchangeable.
- un giorno — a day
- due giorni — two days
- il primo giorno — the first day
- una giornata — a day
- due giornate — two days
- una giornata tranquilla — a quiet day
- giorni difficili — difficult days
- giornate difficili — difficult days
Some adjectives, such as difficile, use the same singular ending for masculine and feminine nouns and become difficili in the plural. Others, such as lungo, change more visibly: un giorno lungo and una giornata lunga.
Talking About Days and the Calendar
Oggi means “today,” ieri means “yesterday,” and domani means “tomorrow.” These words do not require you to add giorno. Parto domani means “I’m leaving tomorrow,” rather than needing a literal phrase built from “next day.”
The days of the week in Italian are lunedì, martedì, mercoledì, giovedì, venerdì, sabato, domenica. Keep the written accent on the final vowel of the first five names. In ordinary Italian text, weekday names normally begin with lowercase letters.
Il giorno dopo means “the next day,” relative to a day already being discussed. It is not always the same as domani, which is tomorrow relative to now. Similarly, il giorno prima means “the day before,” while ieri means “yesterday.” This distinction matters when telling a story about past events. To add a clock time to a day, compare the uses of ora and ore in Italian.
For a greeting, Buongiorno means “Good morning” or “Good day,” depending on context. Buona giornata is a wish that someone will have a good day, commonly used when parting. They are related expressions with different conversational functions.
Example Sentences
These sentences show counting, frequency, and a day’s quality. Look at the whole expression rather than assuming that every English “day” must use exactly the same Italian form.
Use: Giorni counts the duration of the stay. The noun is plural after tre.
Use: Ogni giorno describes frequency. It does not mean that the reading takes all day.
Use: Giornata describes the day as an experience. Stata agrees with the feminine noun.
Common Mistakes
Do not say ogni giorni; use ogni giorno. If you want the plural alternative, use the complete expression tutti i giorni. Do not confuse this with tutto il giorno, which means “all day.”
Keep the genders separate: un giorno but una giornata. Avoid automatically replacing Buongiorno with Buona giornata when greeting someone, since the latter is commonly a parting wish. Finally, do not add an extra syllable for the written i in the beginning of giorno.
Frequently Asked Questions About Day in Italian
Tap a question below to see the answer.
What is the Italian word for day?
The basic word is giorno, with the plural giorni. You will also hear giornata when describing how a day was spent or what it was like.
What is the difference between giorno and giornata?
Giorno is a general word for a day and is useful for counting. Giornata often emphasizes the day’s activities, conditions, or experience. Their uses overlap, so learn common expressions with each.
How do I say every day?
Say ogni giorno or tutti i giorni. Use a singular noun after ogni and a plural structure in tutti i giorni.
Does tutto il giorno mean every day?
No. Tutto il giorno means “all day.” Ogni giorno means “every day.” One concerns duration within a day; the other concerns repeated frequency.
How do I say have a good day?
Say Buona giornata! It is a common wish when parting. Buongiorno is the related greeting meaning “Good morning” or “Good day.”
Is giorno masculine or feminine?
Giorno is masculine: un giorno, il giorno. Giornata is feminine: una giornata, la giornata. Match articles and adjectives accordingly.
Summary
Day in Italian is usually giorno, with the plural giorni. Giornata is especially useful for describing a day as an experience. Remember their different genders: un giorno and una giornata.
Practice ogni giorno for “every day,” tutto il giorno for “all day,” and Buona giornata! for “Have a good day!” These complete expressions will make the basic noun much easier to use naturally.
