spiegazione
explanation
noun spyeh-gah-TSYOH-neh Less Common
Origin: From spiegare, from Latin explicare 'to unfold'.
Usage Note
Spiegazione is the standard word for an explanation or clarification. The plural spiegazioni is regular. The related verb spiegare also means 'to unfold' or 'to spread out' (e.g. sails), so spiegazione retains a faint metaphor of 'unfolding' complexity into clarity. Chiedere una spiegazione ('to ask for an explanation') is a very common phrase.
Examples
"Puoi darmi una spiegazione?"
Natural Translation
Can you give me an explanation?
Related Words
Explore Italian by topic
ItalianNow
5 min read