Use 'applaudire' when you want to say 'to clap' in Italian, especially to show approval.
applaudire en 30 secondes
- clap hands
- show approval
- performance
§ Applaudire: Where You Hear It
The verb applaudire means 'to clap' or 'to applaud'. It's a regular -ire verb, but it follows the -isco conjugation pattern in the present tense for some forms, which is important to remember. You'll hear this word in many different contexts. Let's look at some common situations.
§ In Daily Life and Entertainment
In Italy, people applaudire a lot! It’s common in everyday situations, not just at formal events. Think about concerts, plays, or even a good street performer. Any time someone performs well, expect to hear applause. It’s a direct way to show appreciation.
Il pubblico ha iniziato a applaudire alla fine dello spettacolo. (The audience started to clap at the end of the show.)
Quando il cantante è salito sul palco, tutti hanno cominciato ad applaudire. (When the singer came on stage, everyone started to applaud.)
§ In Professional Settings and Public Speaking
You will also hear applaudire in more formal contexts. At conferences, speeches, or even political rallies, people applaudire to show agreement or approval of a speaker's ideas. It's a sign of support.
I delegati hanno applaudito il discorso del presidente. (The delegates applauded the president's speech.)
Dopo la presentazione, i colleghi hanno applaudito il suo ottimo lavoro. (After the presentation, colleagues applauded his excellent work.)
§ In News and Sports
When you're reading Italian news or watching sports, you'll often come across applaudire. Athletes are applauded for their victories, and sometimes even for a good effort despite a loss. In news reports, it describes public reaction to events or decisions.
La folla ha iniziato ad applaudire quando la squadra ha segnato il gol. (The crowd started to applaud when the team scored the goal.)
I tifosi hanno applaudito l'eroe locale. (The fans applauded the local hero.)
§ Related Terms
While applaudire is the verb, you should also know the noun forms:
- L'applauso (masculine singular): the applause.
- Gli applausi (masculine plural): the applause (often used in the plural in Italian, similar to English).
- DEFINITION
- To clap hands to show approval.
Understanding when and where to use applaudire will make your Italian sound much more natural. Pay attention to how Italians use it in different situations, and you’ll quickly master this useful verb.
Exemples par niveau
Non appena il sipario si chiuse, la folla cominciò ad applaudire con entusiasmo, un'ovazione che durò diversi minuti e riempì il teatro di un'energia palpabile.
As soon as the curtain closed, the crowd began to clap enthusiastically, an ovation that lasted several minutes and filled the theater with a palpable energy.
The past simple 'chiuse' (closed) and 'cominciò' (began) are used to describe completed actions in the past. 'durò' (lasted) and 'riempì' (filled) continue the narrative.
Dopo un discorso così toccante e ispiratore, non potevamo fare altro che applaudire il relatore per la sua profonda saggezza e la sua straordinaria capacità di comunicare.
After such a touching and inspiring speech, we could do nothing but clap for the speaker for his profound wisdom and his extraordinary ability to communicate.
The conditional 'non potevamo fare altro che' (we could do nothing but) expresses an inevitable action. 'applaudire' is in the infinitive after a modal verb.
Era così commosso dalla performance che, nonostante la sua solita riservatezza, sentì il bisogno impellente di alzarsi in piedi e applaudire insieme a tutti gli altri.
He was so moved by the performance that, despite his usual reserve, he felt the urgent need to stand up and clap along with everyone else.
The imperfect 'era' (was) describes a state of being, while 'sentì' (felt) is the past simple of a single action. 'alzarsi' and 'applaudire' are infinitives after 'sentì il bisogno di'.
Il direttore d'orchestra, visibilmente emozionato, si voltò verso il pubblico per ringraziare, mentre le mani degli spettatori continuavano ad applaudire con fervore crescente.
The conductor, visibly moved, turned to the audience to thank them, while the hands of the spectators continued to clap with growing fervor.
The imperfect 'continuavano' (continued) indicates an ongoing action in the past. 'applaudire' is an infinitive after 'continuare a'.
Nonostante la sconfitta, i tifosi della squadra avversaria si dimostrarono sportivi e cominciarono ad applaudire la prestazione eccezionale dei vincitori, un gesto di grande rispetto.
Despite the defeat, the opposing team's fans showed sportsmanship and began to clap for the exceptional performance of the winners, a gesture of great respect.
'si dimostrarono' (showed themselves) is the past simple. 'cominciarono ad applaudire' indicates the beginning of an action.
Dobbiamo applaudire non solo il talento degli attori, ma anche l'impegno e la dedizione di tutta la troupe che ha reso possibile uno spettacolo così memorabile.
We must clap not only for the talent of the actors, but also for the commitment and dedication of the entire crew that made such a memorable show possible.
'Dobbiamo applaudire' uses the modal verb 'dovere' (must) with the infinitive, expressing an obligation or necessity.
È sempre gratificante vedere il pubblico applaudire spontaneamente un'opera d'arte che li ha toccati profondamente, una vera ricompensa per gli artisti.
It is always gratifying to see the audience spontaneously clap for a work of art that has deeply touched them, a true reward for the artists.
The infinitive 'applaudire' follows 'vedere' (to see). 'che li ha toccati' is a relative clause with the past participle.
Se l'esibizione avesse raggiunto le aspettative, avremmo dovuto applaudire con maggiore convinzione, ma purtroppo la qualità non era all'altezza.
If the performance had met expectations, we should have clapped with more conviction, but unfortunately the quality was not up to par.
This is a third conditional sentence: 'Se avesse raggiunto' (If it had met) in the pluperfect subjunctive, and 'avremmo dovuto applaudire' (we should have clapped) in the past conditional.
Teste-toi 6 questions
The correct order forms a simple sentence: 'The public begins to clap.'
This sentence means: 'We want to applaud the show.'
This sentence translates to: 'They love to applaud the artists.'
/ 6 correct
Perfect score!
Summary
Use 'applaudire' when you want to say 'to clap' in Italian, especially to show approval.
- clap hands
- show approval
- performance
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