paese

country; village; town

noun pah-EH-zeh Common

Origin: Medieval Latin pagensis (of the region), from pagus (district)

Usage Note

Paese can mean a small village or a whole country depending on context — un paesino (a little village) vs. il Bel Paese (Italy, 'the beautiful country'). It is masculine: il paese, i paesi. Do not confuse with paesaggio (landscape/scenery). Il Belpaese is also the name of a famous Italian cheese.

Examples

"Questo paese ha una lunga storia."

Natural Translation

This country has a long history.

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