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B1🔤 Letters R & S

Italian word

severo

strict, stern, harsh

Looks like

severe

very serious; harsh; extreme (of weather, illness)

⚠️ The trap

'Severo' mainly means strict or stern (of a person). English 'severe' also covers intensity (severe storm, severe injury) where Italian uses 'grave' or 'intenso'. Partial overlap but not identical.

To say "very serious; harsh; extreme (of weather, illness)" in Italian:

grave, intenso (for severe illness/weather)

"severo" in English means:

strict, stern, harsh

Example

"Il professore è molto severo con i ritardatari."

"The teacher is very strict with latecomers."

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