Italian Word of the Day: Multa (fine / traffic ticket)

The last time I received a multa was when I was driving home, going perhaps five kilometres over the speed limit. The police car was hidden from view by a bend in the road, so he could easily catch anyone in too much of a hurry to reach their final destination. That €60 punishment was all the incentive I needed to never speed again!

/mùl·ta/

Multa is a feminine noun, derived from the Latin multa, and the plural form is multe.

la multa
the fine

una multa
a fine

le multe
the fines

delle multe
(some) fines

Some of the most common reasons for receiving a multa include:

  • going at an excessive speed (eccesso di velocità or velocità eccessiva)
  • going through a red light, which can be translated figuratively as bruciare il semaforo (rosso) with bruciare meaning to burn
  • when unauthorised vehicles enter historic centres (centri storici), limited traffic areas (zone a traffico limitato – ZTL), pedestrianised areas (aree pedonali), and so on
  • the car is parked in a no-parking zone (divieto di sosta)

Ho preso una multa salata perché ho lasciato la macchina in divieto di sosta.

I received an expensive fine because I left my car in the no-parking zone.


Policeman putting fine for improper parking on the windshield of the car, close-up view
Il vigile ha appena fatto una multa. = The policeman has just issued a fine.

From multa comes the verb multare, which means to fine or to give a ticket.

Multa is the most common word used by Italians in an everyday context, but you’ll also hear synonyms such as contravvenzione, ammenda and sanzione.

Multe are generally given by a vigile (traffic policeman) or ausiliario del traffico (traffic warden), also known as vigilino in slang Italian (literally little ‘vigile’). If you get a fine for failing to show your bus or train ticket, it will be given by the controllore (ticket inspector).

These days, it is very common for offences such as speeding to be picked up by speed cameras and traps, known as Autovelox and Tutor in Italian. The Tutor calculates the average speed of a car between two different locations.

Occhio che su questa strada ci sono un sacco di autovelox. Se superi il limite di velocità, ti beccherai di sicuro una multa!

Be careful as there are a lot of speed cameras on this road. If you go over the speed limit, you will definitely get a fine!


CCTV cameras installed on the road for traffic reports and speed traps.
Un autovelox sull’autostrada = A speed camera on the motorway

Ethics statement: Below you will find affiliate links. If you buy something after clicking the link, we will receive a small commission. To know more about our ethics, you can visit our full disclosure page. Thank you!

Lingopie (affiliate link) is the Netflix of language learning application that uses real TV shows and movies to help you learn a new language. You can choose a show to watch based on your fluency level, and use the interactive subtitles to get instant translations to help you learn quickly.

Are you interested in improving your Italian in a fun and stress-free manner? Then we highly recommend Serena Capilli's short stories in Italian (affiliate link), designed for beginners, advanced beginners, and lower intermediate learners (A1-B1 CEFR). These stories have been optimised for English speakers in search of a fun, laid-back learning experience! Read our full review here.


Leave a Comment