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momento

moment, instant

noun moh-MEN-toh Common

Origin: Latin momentum (movement, weight)

Usage Note

Momento is directly borrowed into English but behaves differently in Italian: aspetta un momento (wait a moment) is extremely common. Al momento means 'at the moment / currently,' and per il momento means 'for now.' Un attimo is a shorter, more informal synonym meaning 'a split second.'

Examples

"Aspetta un momento, arrivo subito."

Natural Translation

Wait a moment, I'll be right there.

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