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sussurrare

to whisper

verb soos-soor-RAH-reh Rare
Communication Speech

Origin: From Latin sussurrare, an onomatopoeic word imitating a murmuring sound.

Usage Note

Sussurrare conveys a soft, hushed speaking or rustling sound — both whispering words to someone and the gentle whisper of the wind through leaves. It uses the auxiliary avere in compound tenses. A related noun is sussurro (a whisper). The doubled consonants (-ss-, -rr-) are both held in pronunciation.

Examples

"Gli sussurrò qualcosa all'orecchio."

Natural Translation

She whispered something in his ear.

Literal Translation

To-him she-whispered something to-the ear.

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