A person with a lot of courage and resolve can be described using the noun grinta in Italian. The closest equivalents are grit or determination in English, although other translations such as fighting spirit and drive may also work depending on the context.
Unlike the vast majority of words in Italian, grinta derives, not from a Latin root, but the Gothic grimmitha meaning “(something) that is frightening”.
Grinta is a feminine noun whose plural form is grinte. It takes the following definite and indefinite articles:
la grinta
una grinta
le grinte
delle grinte
To say that someone has grit, you can use the expression avere grinta. If someone carries out an act with determination, on the other hand, you can say con grinta. Di grinta means full of drive/determination, as in una persona di grinta (a person full of drive).
Bisogna affrontare la vita con grinta.
You have to face life with determination.
Maria ha più grinta di tutti gli altri messi insieme.
Maria has more grit than all the others put together.
Another possible meaning for grinta, which is more closely related to the original gothic meaning of the word, is scowl.
Quel criminale ha una grinta da far paura!
That criminal has a terrifying scowl!
Related to today’s word is also the adjective grintoso/a (scrappy, gutsy) and the adverb grintosamente (determinedly). Grintoso can also be used to describe fierce and bold clothing.
Heather Broster is a graduate with honours in linguistics from the University of Western Ontario. She is an aspiring polyglot, proficient in English and Italian, as well as Japanese, Welsh, and French to varying degrees of fluency. Originally from Toronto, Heather has resided in various countries, notably Italy for a period of six years. Her primary focus lies in the fields of language acquisition, education, and bilingual instruction.
