monte
Il monte Everest è la montagna più alta del mondo.
Mount Everest is the tallest mountain in the world.
A natural elevation of the earth's surface, larger than a hill, typically rising prominently above its surroundings.
Abbiamo scalato un monte vicino al nostro villaggio.
We climbed a mountain near our village.
D'inverno, il monte Bianco è coperto di neve.
In winter, Mont Blanc is covered in snow.
In Italian, 'monte' is often used in place names (e.g., Monte Carlo, Monte Rosa).
A large quantity or number of something.
Ho un monte di lavoro da finire prima di stasera.
I have a mountain of work to finish before tonight.
Common in informal speech to emphasize abundance.
Collocations
Pro Tip
Distinguishing 'monte' vs 'montagna'
'Monte' often appears in place names (e.g., Monte Carlo) or formal contexts, while 'montagna' is more common in casual speech for generic mountains.
Word Origin
From Latin *montem*, accusative singular of *mons* 'mountain'.
Usage Notes
In Italian, 'monte' is slightly more literary or formal than 'montagna' in everyday speech, though both are correct. 'Monte' is preferred in geographical names and poetic contexts.