gentile

kind

adjective jen-TEE-leh Rare

Origin: From Latin gentilis ('of the same clan').

Also means

gentle

Usage Note

Gentile is the standard polite adjective for 'kind' and is ubiquitous in formal written correspondence: Gentile Signora Rossi opens a formal letter ('Dear Ms Rossi'). Do not confuse with the English 'gentile' (non-Jewish) — Italian uses non ebreo for that sense. The adverb is gentilmente, and the noun is gentilezza ('kindness').

Examples

"È stata molto gentile ad aiutarmi con i bagagli."

Natural Translation

She was very kind to help me with my luggage.

Literal Translation

She has-been very kind to help-me with the luggage.

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

C'è vs Ci Sono: There Is/Are in Italian

C'è for one thing, ci sono for many — that's the rule. Master Italian's there is/there are with c'era, ci sarà, è vs c'è, and non c'è nessuno.

June 9, 2026 5 min read

ItalianNow

Italian Adjective Agreement & Placement Made Simple

Italian adjectives agree in gender and number and usually sit after the noun. Master the -o/-a/-i/-e endings, the BAGS rule, and meaning-shifting pairs.

June 5, 2026 5 min read

ItalianNow

Italian Question Words: Chi, Cosa, Dove, Quando & More

Master Italian question words: chi, cosa, dove, quando, perché, come, quanto and quale. A usage-first guide that finally sorts che vs cosa vs quale.

June 5, 2026 6 min read

ItalianNow

Italian Articles: Il, Lo, La, I, Gli, Le Explained

Italian has seven words for 'the' — il, lo, la, i, gli, le — but it's two questions, not seven cases. Master gender, sound, and the lo/gli rule fast.

June 5, 2026 7 min read