Skip to content

cioè

that is

conjunction choh-EH Common
Communication Expressions

Origin: contraction of 'ciò è' (that is)

Also means

in other words

Usage Note

Cioè introduces a clarification or correction, like 'that is' or 'I mean'. In casual youth speech it has also become a near-empty filler, much like English 'like', peppered through sentences.

Examples

"Arrivo tardi, cioè verso le dieci."

Natural Translation

I'll arrive late, that is, around ten.

Literal Translation

I-arrive late, that-is toward the ten.

Explore Italian by topic