formica

ant

noun fohr-MEE-kah Rare

Origin: From Latin 'formica' (ant).

Usage Note

Formica is feminine; the plural is le formiche. The related verb formicolare means to tingle or swarm, as in mi formicolano le gambe — 'my legs are tingling'. The hard 'k' sound is preserved in the plural spelling formiche.

Examples

"Le formiche trasportano cibo per l'inverno."

Natural Translation

Ants carry food for winter.

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

Buongiorno, Ciao or Salve? Italian Greetings Made Easy

When in doubt, say salve and mirror the reply. Here's how to pick between buongiorno, buonasera, ciao and salve so your Italian greetings never sound rude.

June 5, 2026 5 min read

ItalianNow

Italian Hand Gestures: Meanings & When to Use

Italian hand gestures decoded: what the pinched fingers, cheek screw, and chin flick mean, which ones are safe to use, and the one gesture to never make.

June 5, 2026 6 min read

ItalianNow

Italian False Friends: 20 Words That Trick You

Italian false friends like preservativo, parenti, and caldo mean the opposite of what English speakers expect. Here are 20 ranked by how badly they bite.

June 5, 2026 6 min read