Skip to content

balletto

ballet

noun bahl-LET-toh Rare

Origin: From French 'ballet', itself diminutive of Italian 'ballo' (dance).

Also means

short ballet

Usage Note

Balletto is the Italian word for ballet — fittingly, as the art form originated in Italian Renaissance courts before developing in France. It can also refer to a short or minor dance piece. The dancers are i ballerini (m) or le ballerine (f). Do not confuse with il ballo (a ball or dance in general).

Examples

"Mia figlia studia balletto da cinque anni."

Natural Translation

My daughter has been studying ballet for five years.

Free starter pack

Building your Italian vocabulary?

Get the 100 most common Italian words as a free PDF — one email, no spam.

Explore Italian by topic