preludio
prelude
noun preh-LOO-dyoh Rare
Origin: Medieval Latin praeludium, from prae- 'before' + ludere 'to play'
Also means
prologue
Usage Note
Preludio is used both in music (a short introductory piece) and figuratively ('a prelude to something'). The plural is preludi (regular -io/-i). In Italian Romantic music, Chopin's Preludi are well known. Figuratively: il preludio di una crisi ('the prelude to a crisis').
Examples
"Il pianista ha suonato un preludio di Chopin."
Natural Translation
The pianist played a Chopin prelude.
Related Words
Explore Italian by topic
ItalianNow
5 min read
ItalianNow
5 min read