vecchiaia

old age

noun vek-KYAH-yah Rare

Usage Note

Vecchiaia refers to the period of life in old age, not a single moment. It contrasts with giovinezza (youth) and maturità (middle age). The proverb 'se gioventù sapesse, se vecchiaia potesse' ('if youth knew, if old age could') captures a classic Italian sentiment about the two stages of life.

Examples

"Trascorre la vecchiaia in campagna."

Natural Translation

He spends his old age in the countryside.

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