piano

See also: Piano, pianó, piáno, and píanó

English

Etymology 1

Clipping of pianoforte, from Italian pianoforte, from piano (“soft”) + forte (“strong”). So named because it could produce a wide range of varied volumes note-by-note, in contrast to older keyboard instruments, notably the harpsichord. Doublet of llano, plain, and plane.

Pronunciation

• (US, Canada) IPA^(key): /piˈænoʊ/
• (UK) IPA^(key): /piˈænəʊ/
• (obsolete, nonstandard) IPA^(key): /paɪˈænoʊ/

• Audio (Southern England):

  (file)

Noun

piano (plural pianos or (archaic) pianoes)

An upright piano

A grand piano

2. (music) A percussive keyboard musical instrument, usually ranging over seven octaves, with white and black colored keys, played by pressing these keys, causing hammers to strike strings. [from 1803]

   Synonym: (dated) pianoforte

   Coordinate terms: cembalo, clavichord, fortepiano, harpsichord, organ, synthesizer, synth

   The piano in his house takes up a lot of space.

   She has been taking lessons for many years and now plays piano very well.

Derived terms

• baby grand piano
• barrel piano
• boudoir piano
• cabinet piano
• Chicago piano
• cottage piano
• digital piano
• dumb piano
• electric piano
• finger piano
• floor piano
• giraffe piano
• grand piano
• Jewish piano
• pianist
• piano accordion
• piano bar
• piano bench
• piano fingers
• piano-forte
• pianoist
• piano keys
• pianola
• piano makerstreet piano
• piano nobile
• piano plate
• piano player
• piano roll
• piano stool
• piano-violin
• piano wire
• player piano
• prepared piano
• pyramid piano
• Rhodes piano
• square piano
• steam piano
• straight piano
• street piano
• stride piano
• thumb piano
• upright piano
• virtual piano

 

Translations

a keyboard musical instrument

• Afrikaans: klavier
• Albanian: piano (sq) f
• Amharic: ፒያኖ (piyano)
• Arabic: بِيَانُو m (biyānō), مِعْزَف m (miʕzaf)

  Hijazi Arabic: بِيانو m (biyānu, piyānu)

• Armenian: դաշնամուր (hy) (dašnamur), դաշնակ (hy) (dašnak) (Western Armenian)
• Asturian: pianu m
• Azerbaijani: piano (az), fortepiano, pianino, royal (az)
• Basque: piano (eu)
• Belarusian: фартэпія́на n (fartepijána)
• Bengali: পিয়ানো (bn) (piẏanō)
• Bulgarian: пиа́но n (piáno)
• Burmese: စန္ဒရား (my) (canda.ra:)
• Catalan: piano (ca) m
• Cherokee: ᎤᏔᏅ ᏗᎧᏃᎩᏍᏗ (utanv dikanogisdi), ᏗᏂᏤᎷᎯᏍᎩ (dinitseluhisgi)
• Chinese:

  Cantonese: 鋼琴／钢琴 (gong³ kam⁴)

  Hokkien: 鋼琴／钢琴 (zh-min-nan) (kǹg-khîm)

  Mandarin: 鋼琴／钢琴 (zh) (gāngqín)

• Cornish: piano m
• Corsican: pianuforte m, pianu m
• Czech: klavír (cs) m, piáno n, břinkotruhla f
• Danish: klaver (da) n
• Dutch: piano (nl) m
• Esperanto: piano (eo)
• Estonian: klaver
• Finnish: piano (fi); flyygeli (fi) (grand piano)
• French: piano (fr) m
• Galician: piano (gl) m
• Georgian: ფორტეპიანო (ka) (porṭeṗiano), პიანინო (ka) (ṗianino)
• German: Klavier (de) n (common); Piano (de) n (exalted style); Flügel (de) m (grand piano)
• Greek: πιάνο (el) n (piáno), κλειδοκύμβαλο (el) n (kleidokýmvalo)
• Greenlandic: klaveri
• Guaraní: kuãytasã
• Hebrew: פְּסַנְתֵּר (he) m (psantér)
• Hindi: पियानो (hi) m (piyāno), महावाद्य (mahāvādya)
• Hungarian: zongora (hu)
• Hunsrik: Piano m
• Icelandic: píanó (is) n, slagharpa (is) f, fortepíanó n
• Ido: piano (io)
• Indonesian: piano (id)
• Irish: pianó m
• Italian: pianoforte (it) m, piano (it) m
• Japanese: ピアノ (ja) (piano), 鋼琴 (ja) (kōkin)
• Kazakh: фортепиано (fortepiano), күйсандық (küisandyq)
• Khmer: ប៉្យាណូ (pyaanou)
• Komi-Zyrian: зонгорӧ (zongorö)
• Korean: 피아노 (ko) (piano)
• Kurdish:

  Northern Kurdish: piyano (ku) f

• Kyrgyz: пианино (pianino)
• Ladino: pyano
• Lao: ປີອາໂນ (pī ʼā nō)
• Latin: clavile n
• Latvian: klavieres (lv) f pl
• Lithuanian: pianinas (lt), fortepijonas (lt)
• Macedonian: пија́но n (pijáno), кла́вир m (klávir)
• Malagasy: valihavata
• Malay: piano (ms)
• Malayalam: പിയാനോ (ml) (piyānō)
• Maltese: pjanu m
• Maori: piana
• Marathi: पियानो m (piyāno)
• Mongolian:

  Cyrillic: төгөлдөр хуур (tögöldör xuur)

  Mongolian: ᠲᠡᠭᠦᠯᠳᠡᠷ
  ᠬᠤᠭᠤᠷ (tegülder quɣur)

• Nahuatl: pianotli (nah)
• Navajo: biwooʼ hólóní, dilní náníltąshígíí
• Norman: piano m
• North Frisian: (Föhr-Amrum) klawiar n
• Norwegian: piano (no) n
• Persian: پیانو (fa) (piyâno)
• Plautdietsch: Piano f
• Polish: pianino (pl) n, fortepian (pl) m
• Portuguese: piano (pt) m
• Punjabi: ਪਿਆਨੋ (piāno)
• Quechua: yatana qallwa
• Romanian: pian (ro) n, Pno.
• Russian: пиани́но (ru) n (pianíno), фортепиа́но (ru) n (fortɛpiáno), роя́ль (ru) m (rojálʹ) (grand piano)
• Scottish Gaelic: piàno m
• Serbo-Croatian:

  Cyrillic: кла̀вӣр m

  Roman: klàvīr (sh) m

• Sicilian: pianuforti m, chianuforti m
• Slovak: klavír m
• Slovene: klavir (sl) m
• Spanish: piano (es) m
• Swahili: kinanda (sw), piano (sw)
• Swedish: piano (sv) n
• Tagalog: piyano
• Tajik: пианино (pianino)
• Tamil: பியானோ (piyāṉō), கின்னரப்பெட்டி (kiṉṉarappeṭṭi)
• Thai: เปียโน (th) (bpiia-noo)
• Tibetan: རྣོ་སྦྲེང (rno sbreng)
• Tigrinya: ፒያኖ (piyano)
• Turkish: piyano (tr)
• Turkmen: pianino, roýal
• Udmurt: рояль (rojaľ)
• Ukrainian: фортепіа́но (uk) n (fortepiáno)
• Urdu: پیانو m (piyāno)
• Uyghur: پيانىنو (pyanino)
• Uzbek: pianino (uz)
• Vietnamese: dương cầm (vi)
• Volapük: pianod (vo)
• Welsh: piano m, perdoneg m or f
• Western Panjabi: پیانو (peyāno)
• Yiddish: פּיאַנע f (pyane), קלאַוויר m (klavir)
• Zhuang: ganghginz
• Zulu: iPiyano (zu)

Verb

piano (third-person singular simple present pianos, present participle pianoing, simple past and past participle pianoed)

1. To play the piano.
   • 1967, Harry F. Chaplin, A McCrae Miscellany, page 41:

     Anyhow I pianoed to my own ear, and had no thought at that time for an audience.

   • 1978, Bertha Harris, Confessions of Cherubino, page 96:

     Who comforted me with Madeleines and lime tea, with whipped cream in my cocoa in far off Ann Arbor while others selfishly fiddled, bassooned, pianoed only for their own ugly self-advancement!

   • 2008, John Gruen, Callas Kissed Me...Lenny Too!, page 138:

     John Ashbery, Kenneth Koch, Arnold Weinstein, and others came to the house, taping their poems as I pianoed and zithered and drummed away.

   • 2020, Becky Manawatu, Auē, page 139:

     We guitared and drummed and head banged and pianoed.

2. (of or with fingers) To move (the fingers) up and down on, similar to the motions of a pianist playing the piano.
   • 2013, Ann Blair Kloman, A Diamond to Die For, page 29:

     He just stared at her, leaned back in his chair and pianoed his fingers along the tablecloth.

   • 2017, Kim Michele Richardson, The Sisters of Glass Ferry:

     “Jean, it ain't right how you separated those two,” he said, and pianoed the little coffin with his fingers, tapping out his grievance.

   • 2020, Simon Lelic, The Search Party:

     The superintendent pianoed his fingers on the surface of a nearby desk.

   • 2021, Emilya Naymark, Hide in Place:

     Holly pianoed her fingers over her throat.

3. To equip with a piano.
   • 1889, The Engineering Record, Building Record and Sanitary Engineer, page 128:

     Other buildings will also be erected and pianoed by the same architect.

   • 1892, The Japan Daily Mail - Volume 18, page 772:

     A tabernacle has been built, burnt, rebuilt, electric lighted, organed, pianoed, and frequently filled — all during the last two years.

Etymology 2

From Italian piano.

Pronunciation

• (General American, Canada) IPA^(key): /piˈɑnoʊ/, /piˈænoʊ/
• (Received Pronunciation) IPA^(key): /piˈɑːnəʊ/

Adverb

Piano notation.

piano (comparative more piano, superlative most piano)

1. (music) Softly, as a dynamic in a piece of music. [from 17th c.]

   (abbreviation) p

Related terms

• mezzo piano, mp
• pianissimo, pp

 

Translations

music: softly

• Chinese:

  Mandarin: 輕柔地／轻柔地 (qīngróu de)

• Finnish: piano (fi), hiljaa (fi)
• German: piano (de)
• Icelandic: veikur (is)
• Irish: pianó
• Italian: piano (it)
• Japanese: ピアノ (ja) (piano)
• Portuguese: piano (pt)
• Romanian: piano (ro)
• Russian: пиа́но (ru) (piáno)
• Slovak: piano
• Spanish: piano (es)

Adjective

piano (comparative more piano, superlative most piano)

1. (music) Soft, quiet.
2. (in extended use) Gentle, soft, subdued.
   • 1817 (date written), [Jane Austen], chapter XVIII, in Persuasion; published in Northanger Abbey: And Persuasion. […], volume IV, London: John Murray, […], 20 December 1817 (indicated as 1818), →OCLC:

     “Oh! yes, yes, there is not a word to be said against James Benwick […] that soft sort of manner does not do him justice.” […]
     “Well, well, ladies are the best judges; but James Benwick is rather too piano for me […] ”

   • 1977, John Le Carré, The Honourable Schoolboy, Folio Society, published 2010, page 160:

     ‘Tradecraft, Chris,’ Enderby put in, who liked his bit of jargon, and Martindale, still piano, shot him a glance of admiration.

Verb

piano (third-person singular simple present pianos, present participle pianoing, simple past and past participle pianoed)

1. To become softer and less intense.
   • 1839, Rosina Doyle Bulwer afterwards Bulwer Lytton (Baroness Lytton.), Cheveley; Or, The Man of Honour, page 385:

     “You know, Mrs. Wrigglechops,” pianoed Miss Drucilla , even more meekly and mildly than before, "the ace is either one or eleven."

   • 2000, David R. Beasley, Aspects of Love: Three novellas, page 83:

     His tone pianoed on intimacy.

   • 2009, David Lau, Virgil and the Mountain Cat, page 61:

     A day pianoed, swelled acutest, pianoed.

Further reading

• piano on Wikipedia.Wikipedia

Anagrams

• NAIOP

Albanian

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /piˈanɔ/

Noun

piano f (plural piano, definite pianoja, definite plural pianot)

1. (music) piano

Azerbaijani

Other scripts

Cyrillic		пиано
Abjad

Etymology

Ultimately from Italian piano.

Pronunciation

• Audio:

  (file)

Noun

piano (definite accusative pianonu, plural pianolar)

1. (music) piano

Declension

Declension of piano
	singular	plural
nominative	piano	pianolar
definite accusative	pianonu	pianoları
dative	pianoya	pianolara
locative	pianoda	pianolarda
ablative	pianodan	pianolardan
definite genitive	pianonun	pianoların

Possessive forms of piano
	nominative
	singular	plural
mənim (“my”)	pianom	pianolarım
sənin (“your”)	pianon	pianoların
onun (“his/her/its”)	pianosu	pianoları
bizim (“our”)	pianomuz	pianolarımız
sizin (“your”)	pianonuz	pianolarınız
onların (“their”)	pianosu or pianoları	pianoları
	accusative
	singular	plural
mənim (“my”)	pianomu	pianolarımı
sənin (“your”)	pianonu	pianolarını
onun (“his/her/its”)	pianosunu	pianolarını
bizim (“our”)	pianomuzu	pianolarımızı
sizin (“your”)	pianonuzu	pianolarınızı
onların (“their”)	pianosunu or pianolarını	pianolarını
	dative
	singular	plural
mənim (“my”)	pianoma	pianolarıma
sənin (“your”)	pianona	pianolarına
onun (“his/her/its”)	pianosuna	pianolarına
bizim (“our”)	pianomuza	pianolarımıza
sizin (“your”)	pianonuza	pianolarınıza
onların (“their”)	pianosuna or pianolarına	pianolarına
	locative
	singular	plural
mənim (“my”)	pianomda	pianolarımda
sənin (“your”)	pianonda	pianolarında
onun (“his/her/its”)	pianosunda	pianolarında
bizim (“our”)	pianomuzda	pianolarımızda
sizin (“your”)	pianonuzda	pianolarınızda
onların (“their”)	pianosunda or pianolarında	pianolarında
	ablative
	singular	plural
mənim (“my”)	pianomdan	pianolarımdan
sənin (“your”)	pianondan	pianolarından
onun (“his/her/its”)	pianosundan	pianolarından
bizim (“our”)	pianomuzdan	pianolarımızdan
sizin (“your”)	pianonuzdan	pianolarınızdan
onların (“their”)	pianosundan or pianolarından	pianolarından
	genitive
	singular	plural
mənim (“my”)	pianomun	pianolarımın
sənin (“your”)	pianonun	pianolarının
onun (“his/her/its”)	pianosunun	pianolarının
bizim (“our”)	pianomuzun	pianolarımızın
sizin (“your”)	pianonuzun	pianolarınızın
onların (“their”)	pianosunun or pianolarının	pianolarının

Catalan

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): (Central) [piˈa.nu]
• IPA^(key): (Balearic, Valencia) [piˈa.no]

• Audio:

  (file)

Noun

piano m (plural pianos)

1. (music) piano

Czech

Etymology

Derived from Italian piano.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): [ˈpɪjano]
• IPA^(key): [ˈpɪjaːno]
• Hyphenation: pia‧no

Noun

piano n

1. (music) piano

   Synonyms: klavír, klimpr

Declension

Declension of piano (hard neuter)

	singular	plural
nominative	piano	piana
genitive	piana	pian
dative	pianu	pianům
accusative	piano	piana
vocative	piano	piana
locative	pianě, pianu	pianech
instrumental	pianem	piany

Further reading

• “piano”, in Příruční slovník jazyka českého (in Czech), 1935–1957
• “piano”, in Slovník spisovného jazyka českého (in Czech), 1960–1971, 1989

Dutch

Etymology

Borrowed from French piano, from Italian piano, shortening of pianoforte.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /piˈaːnoː/

• Audio:

  (file)

• Hyphenation: pi‧a‧no
• Rhymes: -aːnoː

Noun

piano f or n (plural piano's, diminutive pianootje n)

1. (music) piano

   Synonym: pianoforte

Derived terms

• pianobouwer
• pianoles
• pianospel

Esperanto

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): [piˈano]

• Audio:

  (file)

• Rhymes: -ano
• Hyphenation: pi‧a‧no

Noun

piano (accusative singular pianon, plural pianoj, accusative plural pianojn)

1. (music) piano

Derived terms

• pianistino
• pianisto

 

Finnish

Etymology

From Italian piano.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ˈpiɑno/, [ˈpiɑ̝no̞]
• Rhymes: -iɑno
• Syllabification^(key): pi‧a‧no

Noun

piano

1. (music) piano

Declension

Inflection of piano (Kotus type 1/valo, no gradation)
nominative		piano	pianot
genitive		pianon	pianojen
partitive		pianoa	pianoja
illative		pianoon	pianoihin
		singular	plural
nominative		piano	pianot
accusative	nom.	piano	pianot
	gen.	pianon
genitive		pianon	pianojen
partitive		pianoa	pianoja
inessive		pianossa	pianoissa
elative		pianosta	pianoista
illative		pianoon	pianoihin
adessive		pianolla	pianoilla
ablative		pianolta	pianoilta
allative		pianolle	pianoille
essive		pianona	pianoina
translative		pianoksi	pianoiksi
abessive		pianotta	pianoitta
instructive		—	pianoin
comitative		See the possessive forms below.

Possessive forms of piano (Kotus type 1/valo, no gradation)

first-person singular possessor singular plural nominative pianoni pianoni accusative nom. pianoni pianoni gen. pianoni genitive pianoni pianojeni partitive pianoani pianojani inessive pianossani pianoissani elative pianostani pianoistani illative pianooni pianoihini adessive pianollani pianoillani ablative pianoltani pianoiltani allative pianolleni pianoilleni essive pianonani pianoinani translative pianokseni pianoikseni abessive pianottani pianoittani instructive — — comitative — pianoineni second-person singular possessor singular plural nominative pianosi pianosi accusative nom. pianosi pianosi gen. pianosi genitive pianosi pianojesi partitive pianoasi pianojasi inessive pianossasi pianoissasi elative pianostasi pianoistasi illative pianoosi pianoihisi adessive pianollasi pianoillasi ablative pianoltasi pianoiltasi allative pianollesi pianoillesi essive pianonasi pianoinasi translative pianoksesi pianoiksesi abessive pianottasi pianoittasi instructive — — comitative — pianoinesi first-person plural possessor singular plural nominative pianomme pianomme accusative nom. pianomme pianomme gen. pianomme genitive pianomme pianojemme partitive pianoamme pianojamme inessive pianossamme pianoissamme elative pianostamme pianoistamme illative pianoomme pianoihimme adessive pianollamme pianoillamme ablative pianoltamme pianoiltamme allative pianollemme pianoillemme essive pianonamme pianoinamme translative pianoksemme pianoiksemme abessive pianottamme pianoittamme instructive — — comitative — pianoinemme second-person plural possessor singular plural nominative pianonne pianonne accusative nom. pianonne pianonne gen. pianonne genitive pianonne pianojenne partitive pianoanne pianojanne inessive pianossanne pianoissanne elative pianostanne pianoistanne illative pianoonne pianoihinne adessive pianollanne pianoillanne ablative pianoltanne pianoiltanne allative pianollenne pianoillenne essive pianonanne pianoinanne translative pianoksenne pianoiksenne abessive pianottanne pianoittanne instructive — — comitative — pianoinenne third-person possessor singular plural nominative pianonsa pianonsa accusative nom. pianonsa pianonsa gen. pianonsa genitive pianonsa pianojensa partitive pianoaan pianoansa pianojaan pianojansa inessive pianossaan pianossansa pianoissaan pianoissansa elative pianostaan pianostansa pianoistaan pianoistansa illative pianoonsa pianoihinsa adessive pianollaan pianollansa pianoillaan pianoillansa ablative pianoltaan pianoltansa pianoiltaan pianoiltansa allative pianolleen pianollensa pianoilleen pianoillensa essive pianonaan pianonansa pianoinaan pianoinansa translative pianokseen pianoksensa pianoikseen pianoiksensa abessive pianottaan pianottansa pianoittaan pianoittansa instructive — — comitative — pianoineen pianoinensa

Derived terms

• pianisti

 

compounds

• digitaalipiano
• konserttipiano
• pianohaitari
• pianoharmonikka
• pianokappale
• pianokonsertti
• pianokonsertto
• pianokoulu
• pianokvartetti
• pianokvartetto
• pianokvintetti
• pianokvintetto
• pianolanka
• pianomusiikki
• pianonkieli
• pianonsoittaja
• pianonsoitto
• pianonvirittäjä
• pianonviritys
• piano-oppilas
• pianosolisti
• pianosonaatti
• pianosoolo
• pianosovitus
• pianosävellys
• pianotaide
• pianotaiteilija
• pianoteos
• pianotrio
• pianotunti
• pianotuoli
• pystypiano
• sähköpiano
• taffelipiano

 

Further reading

• “piano”, in Kielitoimiston sanakirja‎^[2] (in Finnish) (online dictionary, continuously updated), Kotimaisten kielten keskuksen verkkojulkaisuja 35, Helsinki: Kotimaisten kielten tutkimuskeskus (Institute for the Languages of Finland), 2004–, retrieved 2023-07-03

Anagrams

• apoin, paino, paoin, pinoa, ponia

French

Etymology

Borrowed from Italian piano. Doublet of plain and plan.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /pja.no/

• Audio:

  (file)

Noun

piano m (plural pianos)

1. (music) piano

   Il joue du piano avec compétence.

   He plays the piano competently.

   • 1986, “Il était une fois … une maison des musiciens”, in Il était une fois … une petite grenouille (fiction), Paris: CLE International:

     Je n’aime pas le piano. Je préfère le football.
     Hein ! Quoi ! Et tu me dis ça à moi, le grand professeur Trompette ? Tiens ! Répète ta leçon cinq fois ! Non, dix fois !
     Je déteste le piano !

     I don’t like the piano. I like football more.
     Huh? What? And you’re telling that to me, the great professor Trumpet? Alright then! Repeat what you’ve learned five times! No, ten times!
     I hate the piano!

Derived terms

• piano à queue
• piano droit

Descendants

→ Turkish: piyano

Further reading

• “piano”, in Trésor de la langue française informatisé [Digitized Treasury of the French Language], 2012.

Italian

Etymology 1

From Latin plānus. Compare Sicilian chianu.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ˈpja.no/

• Audio:

  (file)

• Rhymes: -ano
• Hyphenation: pià‧no

Adjective

piano (feminine piana, masculine plural piani, feminine plural piane, superlative pianissimo)

1. plane
2. flat, level

   Synonym: piatto

3. plain
4. soft

   Antonym: forte

5. penultimate accented

Derived terms

• pianamente

See also

• levigato
• liscio

Noun

piano m (plural piani)

1. plane
2. floor, storey (British), story (US) (of a building)
3. plan, tactic, stratagem, scheme, plot
4. (music) piano, as short for pianoforte

Synonyms

• progetto
• proposito

Adverb

piano (superlative pianissimo)

1. slowly
2. carefully
3. (music) piano

Related terms

• piana
• pianificazione
• pianista
• piano piano / pian piano
• pianola

 

Further reading

• piano¹ in Treccani.it – Vocabolario Treccani on line, Istituto dell'Enciclopedia Italiana
• piano² in Treccani.it – Vocabolario Treccani on line, Istituto dell'Enciclopedia Italiana
• piano³ in Treccani.it – Vocabolario Treccani on line, Istituto dell'Enciclopedia Italiana

Etymology 2

From Pio +‎ -ano.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /piˈa.no/
• Rhymes: -ano
• Hyphenation: pi‧à‧no

Adjective

piano (feminine piana, masculine plural piani, feminine plural piane)

1. (relational) of any of the popes named Pius; Pian

   Ordine Piano ― Pian Order, Order of Pope Pius IX

Etymology 3

See the etymology of the corresponding lemma form.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ˈpi.a.no/
• Rhymes: -iano
• Hyphenation: pì‧a‧no

Verb

piano

1. third-person plural present indicative of piare (“to chirp, to cheep”)

Anagrams

• opina, paion

Japanese

Romanization

piano

1. Rōmaji transcription of ピアノ

Malay

Noun

piano (Jawi spelling ڤيانو, plural piano-piano, informal 1st possessive pianoku, 2nd possessive pianomu, 3rd possessive pianonya)

1. piano

Further reading

• “piano” in Pusat Rujukan Persuratan Melayu | Malay Literary Reference Centre, Kuala Lumpur: Dewan Bahasa dan Pustaka, 2017.

Marshallese

Etymology

Borrowed from English piano, short form of pianoforte, from Italian pianoforte, from piano (“soft”) + forte (“strong”). The Italian word piano is from Latin plānus, from Proto-Indo-European *pleh₂-.

Pronunciation

• (phonetic) IPA^(key): [pʲiɑːnʲɔ], (enunciated) [pʲiɑ nʲɔ]
• (phonemic) IPA^(key): /pʲijæɰnʲɛw/
• Bender phonemes: {piyahnew}

Noun

piano (construct form pianoin)

1. a piano

Verb

piano (person noun ri-piano)

1. to play the piano

References

• Marshallese–English Online Dictionary

Norman

Etymology

Borrowed from English piano and French piano.

Noun

piano m (plural pianos)

1. (Jersey, music) piano

Derived terms

• pianiste (“pianist”)

Norwegian Bokmål

Noun

piano n (definite singular pianoet, indefinite plural piano or pianoer, definite plural pianoa or pianoene)

1. (music) piano

Related terms

• flygel
• klaver

 

Norwegian Nynorsk

Noun

piano n (definite singular pianoet, indefinite plural piano, definite plural pianoa)

1. (music) piano

Related terms

• flygel
• klaver

 

Polish

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ˈpja.nɔ/

• Audio:

  (file)

• Rhymes: -anɔ
• Syllabification: pia‧no

Noun

piano f

1. vocative singular of piana

Portuguese

piano

Etymology

Borrowed from Italian piano, short form of pianoforte. Doublet of plano, chão, and porão.

Pronunciation

 

• (Brazil) IPA^(key): /piˈɐ̃.nu/ [pɪˈɐ̃.nu]

• (Brazil) IPA^(key): /piˈɐ̃.nu/ [pɪˈɐ̃.nu]
  • (Southern Brazil) IPA^(key): /piˈɐ.no/ [pɪˈɐ.no]

 

• (Portugal) IPA^(key): /ˈpjɐ.nu/

• (Portugal) IPA^(key): /ˈpjɐ.nu/
  • (Northern Portugal) IPA^(key): /ˈpja.nu/

• Rhymes: (Portugal) -ɐnu, (Brazil) -ɐ̃nu
• Hyphenation: pi‧a‧no

Adjective

piano

1. piano

Adverb

piano

1. (music) piano, soft
2. (music) piano, slowly

Noun

piano m (plural pianos)

1. (music) piano

Derived terms

• pianista

Descendants

• → Hunsrik: Piano

Romanian

Etymology

Unadapted borrowing from Italian piano.

Adverb

piano

1. piano

Slovak

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ˈpianɔ/

Adverb

piano

1. musical directive to play softly

Noun

piano n (genitive singular piana, nominative plural pianá, genitive plural pián, declension pattern of mesto)

1. (music) piano

   Synonym: klavír

2. a very soft sound

Declension

Declension of piano

	singular	plural
nominative	piano	pianá
genitive	piana	pián
dative	pianu	pianám
accusative	piano	pianá
locative	piane	pianách
instrumental	pianom	pianami

Further reading

• “piano”, in Slovníkový portál Jazykovedného ústavu Ľ. Štúra SAV (in Slovak), https://slovnik.juls.savba.sk, 2024

Spanish

Etymology

Clipping of pianoforte, from Italian pianoforte.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ˈpjano/ [ˈpja.no]

• Audio (Colombia):

  (file)

• Rhymes: -ano
• Syllabification: pia‧no

Noun

piano m (plural pianos)

1. (music) piano

Derived terms

• pianístico
• piano de cola
• piano de media cola
• piano eléctrico
• piano vertical
• rollo de piano

 

Related terms

• pianista

 

Descendants

• → Tagalog: piyano
• → Waray-Waray: piyano

Further reading

• “piano”, in Diccionario de la lengua española (in Spanish), 23rd edition, Royal Spanish Academy, 2014 October 16

Swahili

Etymology

Borrowed from English piano.

Noun

piano (n class, plural piano)

1. piano

Swedish

en flygel och ett piano [a grand piano and a piano]

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ˈpjɑːnʊ/

• Audio:

  (file)

Adverb

piano (not comparable)

1. (music) piano

Noun

piano n

1. (music) a piano

   Hypernym: klaver (“keyboard instrument”)

Declension

Declension of piano

		nominative	genitive
singular	indefinite	piano	pianos
	definite	pianot	pianots
plural	indefinite	pianon	pianons
	definite	pianona	pianonas

Derived terms

• fortepiano
• spikpiano
• ta det piano

See also

• flygel
• klaverinstrument

References

• piano in Svensk ordbok (SO)
• piano in Svenska Akademiens ordlista (SAOL)
• piano in Svenska Akademiens ordbok (SAOB)

Veps

Etymology

(This etymology is missing or incomplete. Please add to it, or discuss it at the Etymology scriptorium.)

Noun

piano

1. (music) piano

Inflection

Inflection of piano (inflection type 1/ilo)
nominative sing.	piano
genitive sing.	pianon
partitive sing.	pianod
partitive plur.	pianoid
	singular	plural
nominative	piano	pianod
accusative	pianon	pianod
genitive	pianon	pianoiden
partitive	pianod	pianoid
essive-instructive	pianon	pianoin
translative	pianoks	pianoikš
inessive	pianos	pianoiš
elative	pianospäi	pianoišpäi
illative	pianoho	pianoihe
adessive	pianol	pianoil
ablative	pianolpäi	pianoilpäi
allative	pianole	pianoile
abessive	pianota	pianoita
comitative	pianonke	pianoidenke
prolative	pianodme	pianoidme
approximative I	pianonno	pianoidenno
approximative II	pianonnoks	pianoidennoks
egressive	pianonnopäi	pianoidennopäi
terminative I	pianohosai	pianoihesai
terminative II	pianolesai	pianoilesai
terminative III	pianossai	—
additive I	pianohopäi	pianoihepäi
additive II	pianolepäi	pianoilepäi

References

• Zajceva, N. G., Mullonen, M. I. (2007) “пианино”, in Uz’ venä-vepsläine vajehnik / Novyj russko-vepsskij slovarʹ‎^[3], Petrozavodsk: Periodika

Welsh

Etymology

Borrowed from English piano.

Pronunciation

• (North Wales) IPA^(key): /ˈpjano/
• (South Wales) IPA^(key): /ˈpja(ː)no/
• Rhymes: -ano

Noun

piano f (plural pianoau or pianos)

1. (music) piano, pianoforte

Mutation

Welsh mutation
radical	soft	nasal	aspirate
piano	biano	mhiano	phiano
Note: Some of these forms may be hypothetical. Not every possible mutated form of every word actually occurs.

References

• R. J. Thomas, G. A. Bevan, P. J. Donovan, A. Hawke et al., editors (1950–present), “piano”, in Geiriadur Prifysgol Cymru Online (in Welsh), University of Wales Centre for Advanced Welsh & Celtic Studies