tennis

noun TEN-nees Rare

Origin: Possibly from Old French 'tenez' (take!, hold!), called out when serving.

Usage Note

Tennis is an invariable masculine noun borrowed from English — its plural is identical: i tennis (though the sport is almost always used in the singular). In Italian, il tennis takes the masculine article. Related words include campo da tennis (tennis court), racchetta (f, racket), and tennista (m/f, tennis player). The invariable plural means you say due campi da tennis, not a changed noun.

Examples

"Gioca a tennis ogni domenica mattina."

Natural Translation

He plays tennis every Sunday morning.

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

Italian Hand Gestures: Meanings & When to Use

Italian hand gestures decoded: what the pinched fingers, cheek screw, and chin flick mean, which ones are safe to use, and the one gesture to never make.

June 5, 2026 6 min read

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

Italian Restaurant Etiquette: Mistakes to Avoid

Skip the cappuccino after dinner, never put parmesan on fish, and learn the exact Italian phrases to order gracefully and avoid looking like a tourist.

June 5, 2026 5 min read

ItalianNow

Italian Question Words: Chi, Cosa, Dove, Quando & More

Master Italian question words: chi, cosa, dove, quando, perché, come, quanto and quale. A usage-first guide that finally sorts che vs cosa vs quale.

June 5, 2026 6 min read