nessuno

Italian

Alternative forms

Etymology

From Latin (not) + ipse (emphatic, literally himself) + ūnus (one), meaning “not even one”. Cognate with Neapolitan nisciuno, Friulian nissun, Ligurian nisciǜn, and Old French neisune. Compare Spanish ninguno and Romanian niciun.

Pronunciation

  • IPA(key): /nesˈsu.no/, [neˈsːuːno]
  • Hyphenation: nes‧sù‧no
  • (file)
  • Rhymes: -uno

Adjective

nessuno m sg (feminine nessuna, superlative nessunissimo)

  1. (in negative sentences) no, any
    Synonyms: niente (informal), nullo (archaic, literary), veruno (archaic, literary)

Pronoun

nessuno m sg (feminine nessuna)

  1. none
  2. (masculine only) no one, nobody

Synonyms

Usage notes

  • The adjectival form has no plural form and is therefore only used with singular nouns. The pronoun is also a singulare tantum.
  • Before any grammatically connected word not beginning with s + consonant, cn, gn, pn, ps, x, or z, the masculine form nessuno changes into the apocopic form nessun, while the feminine form nessuna becomes nessun' before vowels:
nessun doloreno pain
nessun amicono friends
nessun'amicano (female) friends
nessun altronobody else
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