nervoso

nervous

adjective ner-VOH-zoh Rare

Origin: Latin nervosus (sinewy), from nervus (sinew, nerve).

Also means

irritable

Usage Note

Nervoso can mean anxious/nervous or simply irritable and short-tempered — context decides. Dare sui nervi (to get on one's nerves) and dare fastidio are common idioms. Be aware that in older or medical Italian nervoso could mean 'sinewy' or 'of the nervous system,' though the emotional sense now dominates in everyday speech.

Examples

"Sono nervoso prima dell'esame."

Natural Translation

I am nervous before the exam.

Related Words

Explore Italian by topic

ItalianNow

Italian Articles: Il, Lo, La, I, Gli, Le Explained

Italian has seven words for 'the' — il, lo, la, i, gli, le — but it's two questions, not seven cases. Master gender, sound, and the lo/gli rule fast.

June 5, 2026 7 min read

ItalianNow

Italian Present Tense: -are, -ere, -ire Verbs

Conjugate Italian present-tense verbs fast: one color-coded chart for -are, -ere, and -ire endings, plus the sneaky -isc- group most guides bury.

June 5, 2026 6 min read

ItalianNow

Most Common Italian Verbs: The 10 That Unlock Speech

Drill these 10 most common Italian verbs first and you unlock past tense, modals, and the progressive — a 7-day plan with every present-tense form to memorize.

June 9, 2026 5 min read

ItalianNow

Italian Adjective Agreement & Placement Made Simple

Italian adjectives agree in gender and number and usually sit after the noun. Master the -o/-a/-i/-e endings, the BAGS rule, and meaning-shifting pairs.

June 5, 2026 5 min read