marinaio

sailor

noun mah-ree-NAH-yoh Rare

Origin: From marina (the sea, navy), from Latin marinus.

Also means

seaman

Usage Note

Marinaio is the common word for a sailor or seaman. The plural is marinai. It should not be confused with marino (adjective, 'marine/of the sea') or marina (navy/seaport). A famous Italian expression is una promessa da marinaio — 'a sailor's promise,' meaning an empty promise.

Examples

"Il marinaio conosce bene il mare."

Natural Translation

The sailor knows the sea well.

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