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spese
/ˈspɛ.ze/
expenses
Le spese di viaggio sono deducibili dalle tasse.
Travel expenses are tax-deductible.
formal
Money spent on goods or services; costs incurred.
Dobbiamo ridurre le spese superflue.
We need to cut unnecessary expenses.
Le spese mediche sono molto alte quest'anno.
Medical expenses are very high this year.
Commonly used in financial, business, and personal contexts.
formal
The act of spending money; expenditure.
La spesa è inevitabile quando si viaggia.
Spending is inevitable when traveling.
Less common than the noun form but still used in formal contexts.
Collocations
spese viveout-of-pocket expensesspese generalioverhead costsspese di viaggiotravel expensesspese medichemedical expensesspese condominialicondominium fees
Pro Tip
Common Mistakes
Avoid confusing 'spese' with 'spesa' (singular, meaning 'expense' or 'grocery shopping'). 'Spese' is plural and refers to expenses in general.
Gold Rule
Plural vs. Singular
Use 'spesa' for a single expense (e.g., 'una spesa di 100 euro') and 'spese' for multiple expenses or general expenses (e.g., 'le spese mensili').
Word Origin
From Latin 'expensa', past participle of 'expendere' (to weigh out, pay out), from 'ex-' (out) + 'pendere' (to weigh, pay).
Usage Notes
Used in both singular ('spesa') and plural ('spese') forms. In formal contexts, 'spesa' refers to a single expense, while 'spese' refers to the total or recurring expenses.
Dizionario Italiano-Inglese