choc

shock

noun SHOHK Rare

Origin: From French choc, shock.

Usage Note

Choc (also spelled shock in Italian) is an invariable masculine noun: il choc, i choc. It refers both to emotional shock and, in medical contexts, to physiological shock (stato di choc). The spelling choc is the older French-derived form still common in newspapers; shock (the English form) is also widely accepted.

Examples

"La notizia mi ha dato un choc enorme."

Natural Translation

The news gave me an enormous shock.

Literal Translation

The news me has given a shock enormous.

Free starter pack

Building your Italian vocabulary?

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

Related Words

Explore Italian by topic

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

Most Common Italian Verbs: The 10 That Unlock Speech

Drill these 10 most common Italian verbs first and you unlock past tense, modals, and the progressive — a 7-day plan with every present-tense form to memorize.

June 9, 2026 5 min read

ItalianNow

Mi Piace vs Mi Piacciono: How to Say 'I Like'

Use mi piace for one thing and mi piacciono for many — because in Italian the thing you like is the subject. The full rule, pronouns, and past tense.

June 5, 2026 5 min read

ItalianNow

Italian Present Tense: -are, -ere, -ire Verbs

Conjugate Italian present-tense verbs fast: one color-coded chart for -are, -ere, and -ire endings, plus the sneaky -isc- group most guides bury.

June 5, 2026 6 min read