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PhrasesTalking About WeatherC'è un vento fortissimo oggi.
A2

C'è un vento fortissimo oggi.

There's a very strong wind today.

Pronunciation

'Fortissimo' — for-TIS-si-mo. The superlative of 'forte'. Four syllables, double 's', stress on the second.

When to use it

Use on very windy days — common along Italian coasts and in mountainous regions. Wind in Italy is often associated with named winds like Tramontane, Scirocco, and Mistral.

What it means

'Fortissimo' is the absolute superlative of 'forte' (strong) — meaning 'very strong'. In Italian weather, absolute superlatives are very common because weather descriptions tend to be expressive. 'Un vento fortissimo' is more colourful than 'un vento molto forte'.

Variations

Il vento mi spazza via!

The wind is blowing me away!

Vivid and hyperbolic — 'spazzare via' (to sweep away) is very Italian

Tira una tramontana gelida.

There's an icy tramontane wind.

'Tramontana' is a specific cold northerly wind — known throughout Italy

Che ventaccio!

What a terrible wind!

Pejorative '-accio' suffix applied to wind — mirrors 'tempaccio' construction

Mini Dialogue

— Come mai hai i capelli così? — C'è un vento fortissimo oggi! Mi ha sfatto tutto! — Sì, ho visto che vola di tutto. — Quasi mi portava via l'ombrello!

— How come your hair is like that? — There's a very strong wind today! It's ruined everything! — Yes, I saw things flying around. — It almost blew my umbrella away!

Cultural Note

Italy has several famous named winds: the 'Tramontana' (cold northerly), the 'Scirocco' (hot southerly from Africa bringing sand and humidity), and the 'Bora' (fierce northeasterly around Trieste). These winds have distinct personalities in regional culture.