comparsa

extra (in a film)

noun kohm-PAHR-sah Rare

Also means

appearance

Usage Note

Comparsa (f) has two related senses: an extra or walk-on actor in film or theatre (fare la comparsa — to be an extra), and more generally an appearance or showing-up (una breve comparsa — a brief appearance). The plural is comparse. In legal Italian it also means a written pleading (brief), an entirely separate technical meaning.

Examples

"Ha lavorato come comparsa in molti film italiani."

Natural Translation

She worked as an extra in many Italian films.

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

Avere Fame: Why Italians "Have" Hunger, Not "Are"

In Italian you say Ho fame (I have hunger), never sono fame. Learn the avere + noun rule for fame, freddo, paura, age, and the sono caldo trap to avoid.

June 5, 2026 5 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

Italian Prepositions: A, In, Di, Da, Su Made Simple

Cities take a, countries take in, origin is di, agents are da. Master the five Italian prepositions a, in, di, da, su and their contractions fast.

June 5, 2026 6 min read

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