B2🔤 Letters I & L
Italian word
latente
latent, hidden, dormant
Looks like
latent
existing but not yet developed or visible
⚠️ The trap
True cognate. Trap: beginners confuse 'latente' with 'tardo/tardivo' (late/tardy). 'Latente' = hidden/dormant, not late. 'Il treno è in ritardo' = 'The train is late' — never 'latente'.
To say "existing but not yet developed or visible" in Italian:
latente (true cognate)
"latente" in English means:
latent, hidden, dormant
Example
"C'è una tensione latente tra i due."
"There is a latent tension between the two of them."
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