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improvviso

sudden

adjective eem-prohv-VEE-zoh Less Common

Origin: from Latin improvisus, 'unforeseen'

Also means

unexpected

Usage Note

Improvviso appears most often in the everyday adverbial phrase all'improvviso (suddenly, all of a sudden). As an adjective it agrees normally: una partenza improvvisa. Note the double 'v'.

Examples

"Un rumore improvviso mi ha svegliato."

Natural Translation

A sudden noise woke me up.

Literal Translation

A noise sudden me has woken.

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