Skip to content

tonfo

thud

noun TON-foh Rare
Communication Expressions

Origin: Onomatopoeic, from the sound of a heavy dull impact.

Also means

splash

Usage Note

Tonfo describes a heavy dull thud or, when something falls into water, a loud splash. The phrase fare un tonfo means 'to take a tumble' or 'to crash' — also used figuratively for a financial or emotional crash (un tonfo in borsa = a stock-market crash). The plural is regular: tonfi.

Examples

"Si sentì un tonfo forte dal piano di sopra."

Natural Translation

A loud thud was heard from the floor above.

Literal Translation

Itself heard a thud loud from the floor of above.

Explore Italian by topic