materasso

mattress

noun mah-teh-RAHS-soh Rare

Origin: From Arabic matrah (place where something is thrown, mat).

Usage Note

Materasso has an Arabic origin, entering Italian via medieval trade. The plural is regular: i materassi. Common compounds include materasso a molle (spring mattress), materasso memory (memory-foam mattress). Beware the double 's': a single 's' (materaso) is a misspelling.

Examples

"Abbiamo comprato un materasso nuovo per il letto matrimoniale."

Natural Translation

We bought a new mattress for the double bed.

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

Days & Months in Italian: A Beginner's Guide

Days of the week in Italian are lowercase, all masculine except la domenica, and il lunedì means every Monday. Learn the days, months, dates, and seasons.

June 5, 2026 4 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

How to Order Coffee in Italy Like a Local

Order coffee in Italy like a local: say un caffè (not espresso), pay at the cassa first, drink al banco, and skip the latte trap. Phrases inside.

June 5, 2026 6 min read

ItalianNow

Most Common Italian Verbs: The 10 That Unlock Speech

Drill these 10 most common Italian verbs first and you unlock past tense, modals, and the progressive — a 7-day plan with every present-tense form to memorize.

June 9, 2026 5 min read