risata

laugh

noun ree-ZAH-tah Rare

Also means

burst of laughter

Usage Note

Risata is a single burst or peal of laughter, more vivid than the general noun riso (laughter). Una risata fragorosa is a booming laugh, while una risatina (diminutive) is a little chuckle. The plural risate is common: scoppiare in risate means 'to burst out laughing'.

Examples

"La sua battuta ha provocato una risata generale."

Natural Translation

His joke provoked a general burst of laughter.

Related Words

Explore Italian by topic

ItalianNow

Avere Fame: Why Italians "Have" Hunger, Not "Are"

In Italian you say Ho fame (I have hunger), never sono fame. Learn the avere + noun rule for fame, freddo, paura, age, and the sono caldo trap to avoid.

June 5, 2026 5 min read

ItalianNow

Days & Months in Italian: A Beginner's Guide

Days of the week in Italian are lowercase, all masculine except la domenica, and il lunedì means every Monday. Learn the days, months, dates, and seasons.

June 5, 2026 4 min read

ItalianNow

Italian Prepositions: A, In, Di, Da, Su Made Simple

Cities take a, countries take in, origin is di, agents are da. Master the five Italian prepositions a, in, di, da, su and their contractions fast.

June 5, 2026 6 min read

ItalianNow

Italian Numbers 1 to 100: Count Like a Local

Learn Italian numbers 1 to 100 by mastering 0-20, the tens, and 3 spelling rules so you can generate any number from ventuno to novantanove on demand.

June 5, 2026 5 min read