lamentare
to complain; to lament
verb lah-men-TAH-reh Less Common
Origin: Latin lamentari (to wail)
Usage Note
Lamentare used transitively means to mourn or deplore something (lamentare una perdita — to mourn a loss). The reflexive lamentarsi (di/con) is far more common in everyday speech and means 'to complain': Mi lamento sempre del traffico. Non-reflexive lamentare sounds more literary or formal. It takes avere as auxiliary.
Examples
"Si lamenta sempre del freddo."
Natural Translation
He always complains about the cold.
Literal Translation
He-himself complains always of-the cold.
Related Words
Explore Italian by topic