Italian words for tools The Next CEO of Stack OverflowWords describing being arrogant but in a positive way?Filler-words in spoken ItalianDifferences between the various translations for “but”, “however”Difference between Barberia and BarbiereCross-language equivalents of Italian proper namesList of Italian proper names and common diminutivesDifference between 'antico', 'arcaico' and 'disusato' as categories in Italian dictionariesThe words “commercialista” and “ragioniere” and their exact meaning and differences“Saldo e importo”: what is the difference?What is the difference between cretino, stupido, imbecille, idiota?

What does this shorthand mean?

How do scammers retract money, while you can’t?

How can I open an app using Terminal?

Can the Reverse Gravity spell affect the Meteor Swarm spell?

How to Reset Passwords on Multiple Websites Easily?

Failed to fetch jessie backports repository

Why here is plural "We went to the movies last night."

Why didn't Khan get resurrected in the Genesis Explosion?

How to get regions to plot as graphics

Visit to the USA with ESTA approved before trip to Iran

How to write papers efficiently when English isn't my first language?

If I blow insulation everywhere in my attic except the door trap, will heat escape through it?

What do "high sea" and "carry" mean in this sentence?

I believe this to be a fraud - hired, then asked to cash check and send cash as Bitcoin

Science fiction (dystopian) short story set after WWIII

What does "Its cash flow is deeply negative" mean?

Example of a Mathematician/Physicist whose Other Publications during their PhD eclipsed their PhD Thesis

Apart from "berlinern", do any other German dialects have a corresponding verb?

Why doesn't a table tennis ball float on the surface? How do we calculate buoyancy here?

Can a caster that cast Polymorph on themselves stop concentrating at any point even if their Int is low?

Describing a person. What needs to be mentioned?

How do I go from 300 unfinished/half written blog posts, to published posts?

Is HostGator storing my password in plaintext?

How to make a software documentation "officially" citable?



Italian words for tools



The Next CEO of Stack OverflowWords describing being arrogant but in a positive way?Filler-words in spoken ItalianDifferences between the various translations for “but”, “however”Difference between Barberia and BarbiereCross-language equivalents of Italian proper namesList of Italian proper names and common diminutivesDifference between 'antico', 'arcaico' and 'disusato' as categories in Italian dictionariesThe words “commercialista” and “ragioniere” and their exact meaning and differences“Saldo e importo”: what is the difference?What is the difference between cretino, stupido, imbecille, idiota?










7















What is the difference between the words attrezzi, utensili, arnesi, and strumenti? My understanding is that all of these refer to tools, with the latter being used to also describe software tools. Furthermore, what other words can be used in Italian to describe tools?










share|improve this question




























    7















    What is the difference between the words attrezzi, utensili, arnesi, and strumenti? My understanding is that all of these refer to tools, with the latter being used to also describe software tools. Furthermore, what other words can be used in Italian to describe tools?










    share|improve this question


























      7












      7








      7








      What is the difference between the words attrezzi, utensili, arnesi, and strumenti? My understanding is that all of these refer to tools, with the latter being used to also describe software tools. Furthermore, what other words can be used in Italian to describe tools?










      share|improve this question
















      What is the difference between the words attrezzi, utensili, arnesi, and strumenti? My understanding is that all of these refer to tools, with the latter being used to also describe software tools. Furthermore, what other words can be used in Italian to describe tools?







      word-meaning word-usage list






      share|improve this question















      share|improve this question













      share|improve this question




      share|improve this question








      edited yesterday









      abarisone

      15.7k11542




      15.7k11542










      asked yesterday









      Joselin JocklingsonJoselin Jocklingson

      3755




      3755




















          2 Answers
          2






          active

          oldest

          votes


















          10














          I think it's useful to look at Treccani's definition of each term to find out the subtle differencies (if there are any).



          Starting with attrezzo, Treccani says:




          attrézzo s. m. [dal fr. attraits, part. pass. sostantivato plur. di attraire, che è il lat. attrahĕre «attrarre»]. – 1. Arnese o
          strumento qualsiasi: un a. di cucina, di bottega; per lo più al plur., complesso di arnesi occorrenti a un determinato uso: gli a. del falegname; a. rurali; a. teatrali; a. navali, il necessario per l’armamento di una nave. In partic., nell’industria, oggetto di forma semplice, che serve a compiere una data operazione in un ciclo lavorativo (meno complesso di utensile).




          Here attrezzo has a generic meaning and can be also translated as something used for a particular use or hardware in the industry field, for something that is needed to perform a certain operation during a working period ( less complex than an "utensile").




          For utensile:




          utensìle (meno com. utènsile) s. m. [uso sostantivato dell’agg. prec.: già in latino esisteva il plur. neutro sostantivato utensilia
          «cose utili spec. per la vita domestica, utensili» e su esso è fondata
          l’accentazione piana utensìle]. – 1. Nome generico dei varî
          arnesi che servono agli usi della vita domestica, spec. in cucina: u. domestici; gli u. più necessarî in cucina sono le pentole,
          i tegami e le posate. In botteghe artigiane, laboratorî, officine,
          ogni attrezzo semplice, atto alla lavorazione dei metalli, del legno o
          della pietra; per es. il martello, lo scalpello, le tenaglie, le
          pinze, le forbici, la sega, la lima, il trapano, il punteruolo, ecc.




          An utensile (utensil) has a more specific meaning especially referring to home life for everything you use in the kitchen, but also, for example in a craft store, the hammer, a pair of scissors, the saw, the driller, etc.




          For arnese:




          arnése s. m. [dal fr. ant. herneis, harneis, harnais «provviste di viaggio, vettovaglie», poi «armatura», voce di origine germ. (ant.
          scand. *hernest)].
          3. Nell’uso com., nome generico di masserizie, oggetti varî, utensili, strumenti, ecc.: molte robe su per le stanghe, secondo il costume di
          là, e altri assai belli e ricchi a. vide (Boccaccio); i sacri arnesi
          Che prima ritrovâr Cerere e Pale (Parini); gli a. del fabbro, del
          falegname, ecc.; aveva con sé tutti gli a. del mestiere. Anche,
          qualsiasi oggetto che non si voglia determinare o di cui non sovvenga
          lì per lì il nome: che fai con questo a.?; dammi quell’arnese.




          Arnese is even more generic, indicating various types of goods and objects




          For strumento:




          struménto (letter. istruménto; ant. instruménto, stroménto, storménto) s. m. [lat. instrumĕntum, der. di instruĕre «costruire,
          apprestare»]. – 1. Genericam., arnese, congegno, dispositivo e sim.,
          necessario per compiere una determinata operazione o svolgere una
          attività




          Finally, for strumento it is something that is needed to perform an operation or an activity.



          Please note that in every definition the other terms you mentioned are used as synonyms, in order to explain the concept. In fact, looking at Treccani synonyms dictionary you can find:




          attrezzo≈ arnese, strumento, utensile.
          utensile ≈ arnese, attrezzo, strumento.
          arnese ≈ attrezzo, ferro, strumento, utensile.
          strumento ≈ arnese, utensile.




          As correctly pointed out by @CasaMich another word user for tools is ferri:




          In partic.: a. I f. del mestiere (o di bottega, o assol. i f.), gli
          arnesi usati nei lavori artigianali, come martello, lima, cacciavite,
          tenaglie, ecc.; fig., quanto serve, anche se fatto d’altra materia,
          per un dato lavoro o genere di lavoro. Analogam., i f. del chirurgo o
          chirurgici, gli strumenti necessarî per gli interventi chirurgici;
          anche assol., nelle espressioni andare, essere, morire sotto i f., e
          sim.




          in expressions as ferri del mestiere (tools of the trade) o ferri del chirurgo (surgeon's tools).






          share|improve this answer




















          • 6





            Another word used for tools is "ferro" as in "ferri di bottega" or "ferri chirurgici"

            – CasaMich
            yesterday


















          6














          This is a really hard question with no simple answer, mainly because of the degree of heterogeneity of word usage that one can find in spoken Italian among different regions. I myself am biased, coming from Rome. This is surely not going to be an exhaustive answer, although I hope it can give you some clues.



          As you have correctly inferred, they are used in a somewhat interchangeable manner. This can clearly be seen by a standard dictionary definition. For example, looking up the word "attrezzo" in Treccani yields




          1. Arnese o strumento qualsiasi.



          That being said, certain contexts have with time adapted more the the use of one of the terms with respect to the others. Also, the terms might be interpreted as referring to different levels of concreteness i.e. do you want to stress the general concept of a tool or are you point out at the physical object itself? How complex is the object? The answers to these questions somehow gives us hints on what a good usage could be.



          Attrezzo



          Almost every Italian household (at least in the Center-South) will have a (and will refer to it as) "cassetta degli attrezzi", meaning a toolbox where one keeps screwdrivers, hammers etc... In this context, these tools are referred to as "attrezzi", but could easily be referred to as "arnesi".



          Utensile



          In common usage, I would dare say that this word is very commonly used in a kitchen context. When referring to pots, pans, cutlery ecc... you would almost always use the term "utensili da cucina". Also, in a workshop context (such as an artisan's shop) you would refer to the tools used as "utensili" (although you could without any problem use the words "strumenti" or "attrezzi").



          Arnese



          This is the one I find most interesting. This is a word that evokes generally variety, generality, and somewhat opacity when it comes to listing the exact tools and their usage.




          Prendimi quell'arnese/attrezzo là!




          This expression could be used when I'm asking a friend (not of the trade) who just came in my mechanic shop to pass me an object who's name is unknown to my friend. It somehow has this blurred connotation to it, either because I'm too lazy to name the object or because I know my friend would not know what to pass me if I said the exact name of the object. Attrezzo sounds more specific.



          This is especially notable in certain regional expressions. In the area around Rome, you could hear the following phrase yelled at a computer




          Ma come funziona (que)'sto attrezzo?!




          to show unfamiliarity with the object and almost disdain.



          Strumento



          This is kind of an all-encompassing term which can be used in most circumstances.




          Gli strumenti del mestiere




          means "the tools of the trade", although not referring so much to the skills required for a job as the actual physical tools.



          This terms can be also be used in an extremely generic way though:




          Mi rifiuto di essere un tuo strumento!




          As a general idea, the word "strumento" is used when one wants to emphasize the fact that the tool is being used for some purpose.



          You are also right when it comes to the used of "strumenti" in a software context, as this is the translation you will find in most available programs.






          share|improve this answer























            Your Answer








            StackExchange.ready(function()
            var channelOptions =
            tags: "".split(" "),
            id: "524"
            ;
            initTagRenderer("".split(" "), "".split(" "), channelOptions);

            StackExchange.using("externalEditor", function()
            // Have to fire editor after snippets, if snippets enabled
            if (StackExchange.settings.snippets.snippetsEnabled)
            StackExchange.using("snippets", function()
            createEditor();
            );

            else
            createEditor();

            );

            function createEditor()
            StackExchange.prepareEditor(
            heartbeatType: 'answer',
            autoActivateHeartbeat: false,
            convertImagesToLinks: false,
            noModals: true,
            showLowRepImageUploadWarning: true,
            reputationToPostImages: null,
            bindNavPrevention: true,
            postfix: "",
            imageUploader:
            brandingHtml: "Powered by u003ca class="icon-imgur-white" href="https://imgur.com/"u003eu003c/au003e",
            contentPolicyHtml: "User contributions licensed under u003ca href="https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0/"u003ecc by-sa 3.0 with attribution requiredu003c/au003e u003ca href="https://stackoverflow.com/legal/content-policy"u003e(content policy)u003c/au003e",
            allowUrls: true
            ,
            noCode: true, onDemand: true,
            discardSelector: ".discard-answer"
            ,immediatelyShowMarkdownHelp:true
            );



            );













            draft saved

            draft discarded


















            StackExchange.ready(
            function ()
            StackExchange.openid.initPostLogin('.new-post-login', 'https%3a%2f%2fitalian.stackexchange.com%2fquestions%2f10374%2fitalian-words-for-tools%23new-answer', 'question_page');

            );

            Post as a guest















            Required, but never shown

























            2 Answers
            2






            active

            oldest

            votes








            2 Answers
            2






            active

            oldest

            votes









            active

            oldest

            votes






            active

            oldest

            votes









            10














            I think it's useful to look at Treccani's definition of each term to find out the subtle differencies (if there are any).



            Starting with attrezzo, Treccani says:




            attrézzo s. m. [dal fr. attraits, part. pass. sostantivato plur. di attraire, che è il lat. attrahĕre «attrarre»]. – 1. Arnese o
            strumento qualsiasi: un a. di cucina, di bottega; per lo più al plur., complesso di arnesi occorrenti a un determinato uso: gli a. del falegname; a. rurali; a. teatrali; a. navali, il necessario per l’armamento di una nave. In partic., nell’industria, oggetto di forma semplice, che serve a compiere una data operazione in un ciclo lavorativo (meno complesso di utensile).




            Here attrezzo has a generic meaning and can be also translated as something used for a particular use or hardware in the industry field, for something that is needed to perform a certain operation during a working period ( less complex than an "utensile").




            For utensile:




            utensìle (meno com. utènsile) s. m. [uso sostantivato dell’agg. prec.: già in latino esisteva il plur. neutro sostantivato utensilia
            «cose utili spec. per la vita domestica, utensili» e su esso è fondata
            l’accentazione piana utensìle]. – 1. Nome generico dei varî
            arnesi che servono agli usi della vita domestica, spec. in cucina: u. domestici; gli u. più necessarî in cucina sono le pentole,
            i tegami e le posate. In botteghe artigiane, laboratorî, officine,
            ogni attrezzo semplice, atto alla lavorazione dei metalli, del legno o
            della pietra; per es. il martello, lo scalpello, le tenaglie, le
            pinze, le forbici, la sega, la lima, il trapano, il punteruolo, ecc.




            An utensile (utensil) has a more specific meaning especially referring to home life for everything you use in the kitchen, but also, for example in a craft store, the hammer, a pair of scissors, the saw, the driller, etc.




            For arnese:




            arnése s. m. [dal fr. ant. herneis, harneis, harnais «provviste di viaggio, vettovaglie», poi «armatura», voce di origine germ. (ant.
            scand. *hernest)].
            3. Nell’uso com., nome generico di masserizie, oggetti varî, utensili, strumenti, ecc.: molte robe su per le stanghe, secondo il costume di
            là, e altri assai belli e ricchi a. vide (Boccaccio); i sacri arnesi
            Che prima ritrovâr Cerere e Pale (Parini); gli a. del fabbro, del
            falegname, ecc.; aveva con sé tutti gli a. del mestiere. Anche,
            qualsiasi oggetto che non si voglia determinare o di cui non sovvenga
            lì per lì il nome: che fai con questo a.?; dammi quell’arnese.




            Arnese is even more generic, indicating various types of goods and objects




            For strumento:




            struménto (letter. istruménto; ant. instruménto, stroménto, storménto) s. m. [lat. instrumĕntum, der. di instruĕre «costruire,
            apprestare»]. – 1. Genericam., arnese, congegno, dispositivo e sim.,
            necessario per compiere una determinata operazione o svolgere una
            attività




            Finally, for strumento it is something that is needed to perform an operation or an activity.



            Please note that in every definition the other terms you mentioned are used as synonyms, in order to explain the concept. In fact, looking at Treccani synonyms dictionary you can find:




            attrezzo≈ arnese, strumento, utensile.
            utensile ≈ arnese, attrezzo, strumento.
            arnese ≈ attrezzo, ferro, strumento, utensile.
            strumento ≈ arnese, utensile.




            As correctly pointed out by @CasaMich another word user for tools is ferri:




            In partic.: a. I f. del mestiere (o di bottega, o assol. i f.), gli
            arnesi usati nei lavori artigianali, come martello, lima, cacciavite,
            tenaglie, ecc.; fig., quanto serve, anche se fatto d’altra materia,
            per un dato lavoro o genere di lavoro. Analogam., i f. del chirurgo o
            chirurgici, gli strumenti necessarî per gli interventi chirurgici;
            anche assol., nelle espressioni andare, essere, morire sotto i f., e
            sim.




            in expressions as ferri del mestiere (tools of the trade) o ferri del chirurgo (surgeon's tools).






            share|improve this answer




















            • 6





              Another word used for tools is "ferro" as in "ferri di bottega" or "ferri chirurgici"

              – CasaMich
              yesterday















            10














            I think it's useful to look at Treccani's definition of each term to find out the subtle differencies (if there are any).



            Starting with attrezzo, Treccani says:




            attrézzo s. m. [dal fr. attraits, part. pass. sostantivato plur. di attraire, che è il lat. attrahĕre «attrarre»]. – 1. Arnese o
            strumento qualsiasi: un a. di cucina, di bottega; per lo più al plur., complesso di arnesi occorrenti a un determinato uso: gli a. del falegname; a. rurali; a. teatrali; a. navali, il necessario per l’armamento di una nave. In partic., nell’industria, oggetto di forma semplice, che serve a compiere una data operazione in un ciclo lavorativo (meno complesso di utensile).




            Here attrezzo has a generic meaning and can be also translated as something used for a particular use or hardware in the industry field, for something that is needed to perform a certain operation during a working period ( less complex than an "utensile").




            For utensile:




            utensìle (meno com. utènsile) s. m. [uso sostantivato dell’agg. prec.: già in latino esisteva il plur. neutro sostantivato utensilia
            «cose utili spec. per la vita domestica, utensili» e su esso è fondata
            l’accentazione piana utensìle]. – 1. Nome generico dei varî
            arnesi che servono agli usi della vita domestica, spec. in cucina: u. domestici; gli u. più necessarî in cucina sono le pentole,
            i tegami e le posate. In botteghe artigiane, laboratorî, officine,
            ogni attrezzo semplice, atto alla lavorazione dei metalli, del legno o
            della pietra; per es. il martello, lo scalpello, le tenaglie, le
            pinze, le forbici, la sega, la lima, il trapano, il punteruolo, ecc.




            An utensile (utensil) has a more specific meaning especially referring to home life for everything you use in the kitchen, but also, for example in a craft store, the hammer, a pair of scissors, the saw, the driller, etc.




            For arnese:




            arnése s. m. [dal fr. ant. herneis, harneis, harnais «provviste di viaggio, vettovaglie», poi «armatura», voce di origine germ. (ant.
            scand. *hernest)].
            3. Nell’uso com., nome generico di masserizie, oggetti varî, utensili, strumenti, ecc.: molte robe su per le stanghe, secondo il costume di
            là, e altri assai belli e ricchi a. vide (Boccaccio); i sacri arnesi
            Che prima ritrovâr Cerere e Pale (Parini); gli a. del fabbro, del
            falegname, ecc.; aveva con sé tutti gli a. del mestiere. Anche,
            qualsiasi oggetto che non si voglia determinare o di cui non sovvenga
            lì per lì il nome: che fai con questo a.?; dammi quell’arnese.




            Arnese is even more generic, indicating various types of goods and objects




            For strumento:




            struménto (letter. istruménto; ant. instruménto, stroménto, storménto) s. m. [lat. instrumĕntum, der. di instruĕre «costruire,
            apprestare»]. – 1. Genericam., arnese, congegno, dispositivo e sim.,
            necessario per compiere una determinata operazione o svolgere una
            attività




            Finally, for strumento it is something that is needed to perform an operation or an activity.



            Please note that in every definition the other terms you mentioned are used as synonyms, in order to explain the concept. In fact, looking at Treccani synonyms dictionary you can find:




            attrezzo≈ arnese, strumento, utensile.
            utensile ≈ arnese, attrezzo, strumento.
            arnese ≈ attrezzo, ferro, strumento, utensile.
            strumento ≈ arnese, utensile.




            As correctly pointed out by @CasaMich another word user for tools is ferri:




            In partic.: a. I f. del mestiere (o di bottega, o assol. i f.), gli
            arnesi usati nei lavori artigianali, come martello, lima, cacciavite,
            tenaglie, ecc.; fig., quanto serve, anche se fatto d’altra materia,
            per un dato lavoro o genere di lavoro. Analogam., i f. del chirurgo o
            chirurgici, gli strumenti necessarî per gli interventi chirurgici;
            anche assol., nelle espressioni andare, essere, morire sotto i f., e
            sim.




            in expressions as ferri del mestiere (tools of the trade) o ferri del chirurgo (surgeon's tools).






            share|improve this answer




















            • 6





              Another word used for tools is "ferro" as in "ferri di bottega" or "ferri chirurgici"

              – CasaMich
              yesterday













            10












            10








            10







            I think it's useful to look at Treccani's definition of each term to find out the subtle differencies (if there are any).



            Starting with attrezzo, Treccani says:




            attrézzo s. m. [dal fr. attraits, part. pass. sostantivato plur. di attraire, che è il lat. attrahĕre «attrarre»]. – 1. Arnese o
            strumento qualsiasi: un a. di cucina, di bottega; per lo più al plur., complesso di arnesi occorrenti a un determinato uso: gli a. del falegname; a. rurali; a. teatrali; a. navali, il necessario per l’armamento di una nave. In partic., nell’industria, oggetto di forma semplice, che serve a compiere una data operazione in un ciclo lavorativo (meno complesso di utensile).




            Here attrezzo has a generic meaning and can be also translated as something used for a particular use or hardware in the industry field, for something that is needed to perform a certain operation during a working period ( less complex than an "utensile").




            For utensile:




            utensìle (meno com. utènsile) s. m. [uso sostantivato dell’agg. prec.: già in latino esisteva il plur. neutro sostantivato utensilia
            «cose utili spec. per la vita domestica, utensili» e su esso è fondata
            l’accentazione piana utensìle]. – 1. Nome generico dei varî
            arnesi che servono agli usi della vita domestica, spec. in cucina: u. domestici; gli u. più necessarî in cucina sono le pentole,
            i tegami e le posate. In botteghe artigiane, laboratorî, officine,
            ogni attrezzo semplice, atto alla lavorazione dei metalli, del legno o
            della pietra; per es. il martello, lo scalpello, le tenaglie, le
            pinze, le forbici, la sega, la lima, il trapano, il punteruolo, ecc.




            An utensile (utensil) has a more specific meaning especially referring to home life for everything you use in the kitchen, but also, for example in a craft store, the hammer, a pair of scissors, the saw, the driller, etc.




            For arnese:




            arnése s. m. [dal fr. ant. herneis, harneis, harnais «provviste di viaggio, vettovaglie», poi «armatura», voce di origine germ. (ant.
            scand. *hernest)].
            3. Nell’uso com., nome generico di masserizie, oggetti varî, utensili, strumenti, ecc.: molte robe su per le stanghe, secondo il costume di
            là, e altri assai belli e ricchi a. vide (Boccaccio); i sacri arnesi
            Che prima ritrovâr Cerere e Pale (Parini); gli a. del fabbro, del
            falegname, ecc.; aveva con sé tutti gli a. del mestiere. Anche,
            qualsiasi oggetto che non si voglia determinare o di cui non sovvenga
            lì per lì il nome: che fai con questo a.?; dammi quell’arnese.




            Arnese is even more generic, indicating various types of goods and objects




            For strumento:




            struménto (letter. istruménto; ant. instruménto, stroménto, storménto) s. m. [lat. instrumĕntum, der. di instruĕre «costruire,
            apprestare»]. – 1. Genericam., arnese, congegno, dispositivo e sim.,
            necessario per compiere una determinata operazione o svolgere una
            attività




            Finally, for strumento it is something that is needed to perform an operation or an activity.



            Please note that in every definition the other terms you mentioned are used as synonyms, in order to explain the concept. In fact, looking at Treccani synonyms dictionary you can find:




            attrezzo≈ arnese, strumento, utensile.
            utensile ≈ arnese, attrezzo, strumento.
            arnese ≈ attrezzo, ferro, strumento, utensile.
            strumento ≈ arnese, utensile.




            As correctly pointed out by @CasaMich another word user for tools is ferri:




            In partic.: a. I f. del mestiere (o di bottega, o assol. i f.), gli
            arnesi usati nei lavori artigianali, come martello, lima, cacciavite,
            tenaglie, ecc.; fig., quanto serve, anche se fatto d’altra materia,
            per un dato lavoro o genere di lavoro. Analogam., i f. del chirurgo o
            chirurgici, gli strumenti necessarî per gli interventi chirurgici;
            anche assol., nelle espressioni andare, essere, morire sotto i f., e
            sim.




            in expressions as ferri del mestiere (tools of the trade) o ferri del chirurgo (surgeon's tools).






            share|improve this answer















            I think it's useful to look at Treccani's definition of each term to find out the subtle differencies (if there are any).



            Starting with attrezzo, Treccani says:




            attrézzo s. m. [dal fr. attraits, part. pass. sostantivato plur. di attraire, che è il lat. attrahĕre «attrarre»]. – 1. Arnese o
            strumento qualsiasi: un a. di cucina, di bottega; per lo più al plur., complesso di arnesi occorrenti a un determinato uso: gli a. del falegname; a. rurali; a. teatrali; a. navali, il necessario per l’armamento di una nave. In partic., nell’industria, oggetto di forma semplice, che serve a compiere una data operazione in un ciclo lavorativo (meno complesso di utensile).




            Here attrezzo has a generic meaning and can be also translated as something used for a particular use or hardware in the industry field, for something that is needed to perform a certain operation during a working period ( less complex than an "utensile").




            For utensile:




            utensìle (meno com. utènsile) s. m. [uso sostantivato dell’agg. prec.: già in latino esisteva il plur. neutro sostantivato utensilia
            «cose utili spec. per la vita domestica, utensili» e su esso è fondata
            l’accentazione piana utensìle]. – 1. Nome generico dei varî
            arnesi che servono agli usi della vita domestica, spec. in cucina: u. domestici; gli u. più necessarî in cucina sono le pentole,
            i tegami e le posate. In botteghe artigiane, laboratorî, officine,
            ogni attrezzo semplice, atto alla lavorazione dei metalli, del legno o
            della pietra; per es. il martello, lo scalpello, le tenaglie, le
            pinze, le forbici, la sega, la lima, il trapano, il punteruolo, ecc.




            An utensile (utensil) has a more specific meaning especially referring to home life for everything you use in the kitchen, but also, for example in a craft store, the hammer, a pair of scissors, the saw, the driller, etc.




            For arnese:




            arnése s. m. [dal fr. ant. herneis, harneis, harnais «provviste di viaggio, vettovaglie», poi «armatura», voce di origine germ. (ant.
            scand. *hernest)].
            3. Nell’uso com., nome generico di masserizie, oggetti varî, utensili, strumenti, ecc.: molte robe su per le stanghe, secondo il costume di
            là, e altri assai belli e ricchi a. vide (Boccaccio); i sacri arnesi
            Che prima ritrovâr Cerere e Pale (Parini); gli a. del fabbro, del
            falegname, ecc.; aveva con sé tutti gli a. del mestiere. Anche,
            qualsiasi oggetto che non si voglia determinare o di cui non sovvenga
            lì per lì il nome: che fai con questo a.?; dammi quell’arnese.




            Arnese is even more generic, indicating various types of goods and objects




            For strumento:




            struménto (letter. istruménto; ant. instruménto, stroménto, storménto) s. m. [lat. instrumĕntum, der. di instruĕre «costruire,
            apprestare»]. – 1. Genericam., arnese, congegno, dispositivo e sim.,
            necessario per compiere una determinata operazione o svolgere una
            attività




            Finally, for strumento it is something that is needed to perform an operation or an activity.



            Please note that in every definition the other terms you mentioned are used as synonyms, in order to explain the concept. In fact, looking at Treccani synonyms dictionary you can find:




            attrezzo≈ arnese, strumento, utensile.
            utensile ≈ arnese, attrezzo, strumento.
            arnese ≈ attrezzo, ferro, strumento, utensile.
            strumento ≈ arnese, utensile.




            As correctly pointed out by @CasaMich another word user for tools is ferri:




            In partic.: a. I f. del mestiere (o di bottega, o assol. i f.), gli
            arnesi usati nei lavori artigianali, come martello, lima, cacciavite,
            tenaglie, ecc.; fig., quanto serve, anche se fatto d’altra materia,
            per un dato lavoro o genere di lavoro. Analogam., i f. del chirurgo o
            chirurgici, gli strumenti necessarî per gli interventi chirurgici;
            anche assol., nelle espressioni andare, essere, morire sotto i f., e
            sim.




            in expressions as ferri del mestiere (tools of the trade) o ferri del chirurgo (surgeon's tools).







            share|improve this answer














            share|improve this answer



            share|improve this answer








            edited 20 hours ago

























            answered yesterday









            abarisoneabarisone

            15.7k11542




            15.7k11542







            • 6





              Another word used for tools is "ferro" as in "ferri di bottega" or "ferri chirurgici"

              – CasaMich
              yesterday












            • 6





              Another word used for tools is "ferro" as in "ferri di bottega" or "ferri chirurgici"

              – CasaMich
              yesterday







            6




            6





            Another word used for tools is "ferro" as in "ferri di bottega" or "ferri chirurgici"

            – CasaMich
            yesterday





            Another word used for tools is "ferro" as in "ferri di bottega" or "ferri chirurgici"

            – CasaMich
            yesterday











            6














            This is a really hard question with no simple answer, mainly because of the degree of heterogeneity of word usage that one can find in spoken Italian among different regions. I myself am biased, coming from Rome. This is surely not going to be an exhaustive answer, although I hope it can give you some clues.



            As you have correctly inferred, they are used in a somewhat interchangeable manner. This can clearly be seen by a standard dictionary definition. For example, looking up the word "attrezzo" in Treccani yields




            1. Arnese o strumento qualsiasi.



            That being said, certain contexts have with time adapted more the the use of one of the terms with respect to the others. Also, the terms might be interpreted as referring to different levels of concreteness i.e. do you want to stress the general concept of a tool or are you point out at the physical object itself? How complex is the object? The answers to these questions somehow gives us hints on what a good usage could be.



            Attrezzo



            Almost every Italian household (at least in the Center-South) will have a (and will refer to it as) "cassetta degli attrezzi", meaning a toolbox where one keeps screwdrivers, hammers etc... In this context, these tools are referred to as "attrezzi", but could easily be referred to as "arnesi".



            Utensile



            In common usage, I would dare say that this word is very commonly used in a kitchen context. When referring to pots, pans, cutlery ecc... you would almost always use the term "utensili da cucina". Also, in a workshop context (such as an artisan's shop) you would refer to the tools used as "utensili" (although you could without any problem use the words "strumenti" or "attrezzi").



            Arnese



            This is the one I find most interesting. This is a word that evokes generally variety, generality, and somewhat opacity when it comes to listing the exact tools and their usage.




            Prendimi quell'arnese/attrezzo là!




            This expression could be used when I'm asking a friend (not of the trade) who just came in my mechanic shop to pass me an object who's name is unknown to my friend. It somehow has this blurred connotation to it, either because I'm too lazy to name the object or because I know my friend would not know what to pass me if I said the exact name of the object. Attrezzo sounds more specific.



            This is especially notable in certain regional expressions. In the area around Rome, you could hear the following phrase yelled at a computer




            Ma come funziona (que)'sto attrezzo?!




            to show unfamiliarity with the object and almost disdain.



            Strumento



            This is kind of an all-encompassing term which can be used in most circumstances.




            Gli strumenti del mestiere




            means "the tools of the trade", although not referring so much to the skills required for a job as the actual physical tools.



            This terms can be also be used in an extremely generic way though:




            Mi rifiuto di essere un tuo strumento!




            As a general idea, the word "strumento" is used when one wants to emphasize the fact that the tool is being used for some purpose.



            You are also right when it comes to the used of "strumenti" in a software context, as this is the translation you will find in most available programs.






            share|improve this answer



























              6














              This is a really hard question with no simple answer, mainly because of the degree of heterogeneity of word usage that one can find in spoken Italian among different regions. I myself am biased, coming from Rome. This is surely not going to be an exhaustive answer, although I hope it can give you some clues.



              As you have correctly inferred, they are used in a somewhat interchangeable manner. This can clearly be seen by a standard dictionary definition. For example, looking up the word "attrezzo" in Treccani yields




              1. Arnese o strumento qualsiasi.



              That being said, certain contexts have with time adapted more the the use of one of the terms with respect to the others. Also, the terms might be interpreted as referring to different levels of concreteness i.e. do you want to stress the general concept of a tool or are you point out at the physical object itself? How complex is the object? The answers to these questions somehow gives us hints on what a good usage could be.



              Attrezzo



              Almost every Italian household (at least in the Center-South) will have a (and will refer to it as) "cassetta degli attrezzi", meaning a toolbox where one keeps screwdrivers, hammers etc... In this context, these tools are referred to as "attrezzi", but could easily be referred to as "arnesi".



              Utensile



              In common usage, I would dare say that this word is very commonly used in a kitchen context. When referring to pots, pans, cutlery ecc... you would almost always use the term "utensili da cucina". Also, in a workshop context (such as an artisan's shop) you would refer to the tools used as "utensili" (although you could without any problem use the words "strumenti" or "attrezzi").



              Arnese



              This is the one I find most interesting. This is a word that evokes generally variety, generality, and somewhat opacity when it comes to listing the exact tools and their usage.




              Prendimi quell'arnese/attrezzo là!




              This expression could be used when I'm asking a friend (not of the trade) who just came in my mechanic shop to pass me an object who's name is unknown to my friend. It somehow has this blurred connotation to it, either because I'm too lazy to name the object or because I know my friend would not know what to pass me if I said the exact name of the object. Attrezzo sounds more specific.



              This is especially notable in certain regional expressions. In the area around Rome, you could hear the following phrase yelled at a computer




              Ma come funziona (que)'sto attrezzo?!




              to show unfamiliarity with the object and almost disdain.



              Strumento



              This is kind of an all-encompassing term which can be used in most circumstances.




              Gli strumenti del mestiere




              means "the tools of the trade", although not referring so much to the skills required for a job as the actual physical tools.



              This terms can be also be used in an extremely generic way though:




              Mi rifiuto di essere un tuo strumento!




              As a general idea, the word "strumento" is used when one wants to emphasize the fact that the tool is being used for some purpose.



              You are also right when it comes to the used of "strumenti" in a software context, as this is the translation you will find in most available programs.






              share|improve this answer

























                6












                6








                6







                This is a really hard question with no simple answer, mainly because of the degree of heterogeneity of word usage that one can find in spoken Italian among different regions. I myself am biased, coming from Rome. This is surely not going to be an exhaustive answer, although I hope it can give you some clues.



                As you have correctly inferred, they are used in a somewhat interchangeable manner. This can clearly be seen by a standard dictionary definition. For example, looking up the word "attrezzo" in Treccani yields




                1. Arnese o strumento qualsiasi.



                That being said, certain contexts have with time adapted more the the use of one of the terms with respect to the others. Also, the terms might be interpreted as referring to different levels of concreteness i.e. do you want to stress the general concept of a tool or are you point out at the physical object itself? How complex is the object? The answers to these questions somehow gives us hints on what a good usage could be.



                Attrezzo



                Almost every Italian household (at least in the Center-South) will have a (and will refer to it as) "cassetta degli attrezzi", meaning a toolbox where one keeps screwdrivers, hammers etc... In this context, these tools are referred to as "attrezzi", but could easily be referred to as "arnesi".



                Utensile



                In common usage, I would dare say that this word is very commonly used in a kitchen context. When referring to pots, pans, cutlery ecc... you would almost always use the term "utensili da cucina". Also, in a workshop context (such as an artisan's shop) you would refer to the tools used as "utensili" (although you could without any problem use the words "strumenti" or "attrezzi").



                Arnese



                This is the one I find most interesting. This is a word that evokes generally variety, generality, and somewhat opacity when it comes to listing the exact tools and their usage.




                Prendimi quell'arnese/attrezzo là!




                This expression could be used when I'm asking a friend (not of the trade) who just came in my mechanic shop to pass me an object who's name is unknown to my friend. It somehow has this blurred connotation to it, either because I'm too lazy to name the object or because I know my friend would not know what to pass me if I said the exact name of the object. Attrezzo sounds more specific.



                This is especially notable in certain regional expressions. In the area around Rome, you could hear the following phrase yelled at a computer




                Ma come funziona (que)'sto attrezzo?!




                to show unfamiliarity with the object and almost disdain.



                Strumento



                This is kind of an all-encompassing term which can be used in most circumstances.




                Gli strumenti del mestiere




                means "the tools of the trade", although not referring so much to the skills required for a job as the actual physical tools.



                This terms can be also be used in an extremely generic way though:




                Mi rifiuto di essere un tuo strumento!




                As a general idea, the word "strumento" is used when one wants to emphasize the fact that the tool is being used for some purpose.



                You are also right when it comes to the used of "strumenti" in a software context, as this is the translation you will find in most available programs.






                share|improve this answer













                This is a really hard question with no simple answer, mainly because of the degree of heterogeneity of word usage that one can find in spoken Italian among different regions. I myself am biased, coming from Rome. This is surely not going to be an exhaustive answer, although I hope it can give you some clues.



                As you have correctly inferred, they are used in a somewhat interchangeable manner. This can clearly be seen by a standard dictionary definition. For example, looking up the word "attrezzo" in Treccani yields




                1. Arnese o strumento qualsiasi.



                That being said, certain contexts have with time adapted more the the use of one of the terms with respect to the others. Also, the terms might be interpreted as referring to different levels of concreteness i.e. do you want to stress the general concept of a tool or are you point out at the physical object itself? How complex is the object? The answers to these questions somehow gives us hints on what a good usage could be.



                Attrezzo



                Almost every Italian household (at least in the Center-South) will have a (and will refer to it as) "cassetta degli attrezzi", meaning a toolbox where one keeps screwdrivers, hammers etc... In this context, these tools are referred to as "attrezzi", but could easily be referred to as "arnesi".



                Utensile



                In common usage, I would dare say that this word is very commonly used in a kitchen context. When referring to pots, pans, cutlery ecc... you would almost always use the term "utensili da cucina". Also, in a workshop context (such as an artisan's shop) you would refer to the tools used as "utensili" (although you could without any problem use the words "strumenti" or "attrezzi").



                Arnese



                This is the one I find most interesting. This is a word that evokes generally variety, generality, and somewhat opacity when it comes to listing the exact tools and their usage.




                Prendimi quell'arnese/attrezzo là!




                This expression could be used when I'm asking a friend (not of the trade) who just came in my mechanic shop to pass me an object who's name is unknown to my friend. It somehow has this blurred connotation to it, either because I'm too lazy to name the object or because I know my friend would not know what to pass me if I said the exact name of the object. Attrezzo sounds more specific.



                This is especially notable in certain regional expressions. In the area around Rome, you could hear the following phrase yelled at a computer




                Ma come funziona (que)'sto attrezzo?!




                to show unfamiliarity with the object and almost disdain.



                Strumento



                This is kind of an all-encompassing term which can be used in most circumstances.




                Gli strumenti del mestiere




                means "the tools of the trade", although not referring so much to the skills required for a job as the actual physical tools.



                This terms can be also be used in an extremely generic way though:




                Mi rifiuto di essere un tuo strumento!




                As a general idea, the word "strumento" is used when one wants to emphasize the fact that the tool is being used for some purpose.



                You are also right when it comes to the used of "strumenti" in a software context, as this is the translation you will find in most available programs.







                share|improve this answer












                share|improve this answer



                share|improve this answer










                answered yesterday









                Easymode44Easymode44

                594311




                594311



























                    draft saved

                    draft discarded
















































                    Thanks for contributing an answer to Italian Language Stack Exchange!


                    • Please be sure to answer the question. Provide details and share your research!

                    But avoid


                    • Asking for help, clarification, or responding to other answers.

                    • Making statements based on opinion; back them up with references or personal experience.

                    To learn more, see our tips on writing great answers.




                    draft saved


                    draft discarded














                    StackExchange.ready(
                    function ()
                    StackExchange.openid.initPostLogin('.new-post-login', 'https%3a%2f%2fitalian.stackexchange.com%2fquestions%2f10374%2fitalian-words-for-tools%23new-answer', 'question_page');

                    );

                    Post as a guest















                    Required, but never shown





















































                    Required, but never shown














                    Required, but never shown












                    Required, but never shown







                    Required, but never shown

































                    Required, but never shown














                    Required, but never shown












                    Required, but never shown







                    Required, but never shown







                    Popular posts from this blog

                    Sum ergo cogito? 1 nng

                    三茅街道4182Guuntc Dn precexpngmageondP