Italian Word of the Day: Moquette (carpet)

The word moquette in Italian comes from the French of the same spelling. It refers to the type of wall-to-wall carpeting found in the most important living spaces of the home, as well as the material from which it is made.

/mokˈɛt/
Italian word for carpet

Moquette is an invariable feminine noun. Invariable simply means that its form does not change in the plural.

  • la moquette = the carpet
  • le moquette = the carpets
  • una moquette = a carpet
  • delle moquette = (some) carpets

Now, it needs to be said that the average Italian abode does not benefit from fitted carpeting. Even in the bedrooms and living spaces, you are much more likely to find a parquet (another French loanword meaning “hard wood floor”) covered in a tappeto (rug) or two than a moquette. In fact, Italians tend to be shocked when they discover that many houses in the UK have a moquette in every room, sometimes even the bathroom!

Il 98% delle case inglesi ha la moquette, mentre in Italia la percentuale è del 2%.

98% of British homes have carpet, while in Italy the percentage is 2%.


Cropped image of maid cleaning carpet in hotel room
Sta passando l’aspirapolvere sulla moquette = She’s vacuuming the carpet

Sign up for a free trial of LingQ (affiliate link), the app I use to improve my Italian vocabulary, and receive an additional 100 LingQs which can be used before needing to upgrade!

Read our full review of LingQ and find out why we love it so much!