funicolare
funicular
adjective noun foo-nee-koh-LAH-reh Rare
Origin: Latin funiculus (small rope, cord)
Also means
cable-railway
Usage Note
Funicolare functions both as an adjective (relating to ropes or cables) and as a noun — la funicolare is a cable railway that hauls cars up steep hills using a cable, common in Italian mountain towns and Naples. The famous Neapolitan song 'Funiculì, Funiculà' was written in 1880 to celebrate the opening of the Vesuvius funicular. As a noun it is feminine.
Examples
"Abbiamo preso la funicolare per salire al castello."
Natural Translation
We took the funicular to go up to the castle.

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
5 min read