cristiano

Christian

adjective krees-TYAH-noh Less Common

Origin: Latin christianus, from Greek Khristos (anointed)

Usage Note

Cristiano functions as both adjective ('la tradizione cristiana', the Christian tradition) and noun (un cristiano, a Christian). In colloquial Italian, cristiano is also used informally to mean 'person' or 'human being' — 'non c'è un cristiano in giro' means 'there's not a soul around.' This colloquial use is a distinctive feature of Italian. Note the capital letter is optional in Italian, unlike in English.

Examples

"I valori cristiani sono al centro della sua vita."

Natural Translation

Christian values are at the center of his life.

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