natale
native, natal
adjective nah-TAH-leh Less Common
Origin: Latin natalis, 'of birth'
Also means
of or relating to Christmas
Usage Note
Natale as an adjective means 'native' or 'of one's birth' (la città natale = 'hometown', la lingua natale = 'native language'); capitalised, Natale is the noun for Christmas. Learners often see the lowercase adjective and the capitalised noun and wonder if they are the same word — they share the same Latin root and form, but context distinguishes them entirely.
Examples
"È tornata nella sua città natale."
Natural Translation
She returned to her hometown.
Related Words
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