B2🎓 School & Academia
Italian word
bocciatura
failing a year / being held back
Looks like
no English cognate
no equivalent single English word
⚠️ The trap
Italian has a specific word for failing and repeating a school year ('bocciatura'). English has no single equivalent — you say 'having to repeat the year' or 'being held back'. This concept is more common in Italian education than in UK/US systems.
To say "no equivalent single English word" in Italian:
N/A
"bocciatura" in English means:
failing a year / being held back
Example
"La bocciatura è stata una delusione per tutta la famiglia."
"Having to repeat the year was a disappointment for the whole family."
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