mano

hand

noun MAH-noh Common

Also means

coat (of paint)

Usage Note

Mano is a classic deceptive gender: it ends in -o but is FEMININE — la mano, le mani. The plural mani is also irregular (not manos). Idioms abound: di seconda mano (second-hand), stringere la mano (to shake hands), fuori mano (out of the way, hard to reach).

Examples

"Mi sono fatto male alla mano."

Natural Translation

I hurt my hand.

Literal Translation

I made myself harm to-the hand.

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

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

ItalianNow

Tu vs Lei: Formal & Informal "You" in Italian

When in doubt, use Lei. Here's exactly when to use tu vs Lei in Italian — the who-to-use-with map, the verb and possessive shifts, and how to switch politely.

June 5, 2026 6 min read

ItalianNow

Italian Numbers 1 to 100: Count Like a Local

Learn Italian numbers 1 to 100 by mastering 0-20, the tens, and 3 spelling rules so you can generate any number from ventuno to novantanove on demand.

June 5, 2026 5 min read

ItalianNow

Italian Dialects vs Standard Italian: A Guide

Standard Italian works everywhere, so relax: this three-layer guide to Italian dialects vs standard Italian shows what to ignore and what to notice.

June 9, 2026 6 min read