vecchio

old

adjective VEK-kyoh Common

Origin: From Latin vetulus, diminutive of vetus (old).

Also means

ancient; long-standing

Usage Note

Vecchio placed before the noun often means 'long-standing, familiar' (un vecchio amico = 'an old friend, a longtime friend'), while after the noun it describes age (un uomo vecchio = 'an elderly man'). Its antonym is giovane (young) for people or nuovo (new) for objects. The superlative is vecchissimo.

Examples

"Abitano in un vecchio palazzo nel centro storico."

Natural Translation

They live in an old building in the historic centre.

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