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promessa

promise

noun proh-MES-sah Less Common
Communication Speech

Origin: Latin promissa, past participle of promittere, 'to send forward'

Usage Note

Promessa is both the noun 'promise' and informally 'a promising person' — è una promessa del calcio (he is a promising footballer). The expression mantenere una promessa (to keep a promise) is standard; rompere / non mantenere una promessa means to break it. Plural: promesse. The Manzoni novel I Promessi Sposi ('The Betrothed') uses the adjective promesso (promised/betrothed).

Examples

"Ha mantenuto la sua promessa."

Natural Translation

He kept his promise.

Literal Translation

He has kept the his promise.

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