# piano
## 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: /piˈænoʊ/
* (UK) IPA: /piˈænəʊ/
* (obsolete, nonstandard) IPA: /paɪˈænoʊ/
* Audio (Southern England):(file)

#### Noun

piano (plural pianos or (archaic) pianoes)
* (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
* piano four hands
* pianoist
* piano keys
* pianola
* piano maker
* piano plate
* piano player
* piano-polish
* piano polish
* 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
#### Verb

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

#### References

* ↑ Meredith, L. P. (1872) “Piano”, in Every-Day Errors of Speech‎, Philadelphia: J.B. Lippincott & Co., page 35.

### Etymology 2

From Italian piano.

#### Pronunciation

* (General American, Canada) IPA: /piˈɑnoʊ/, /piˈænoʊ/
* (Received Pronunciation) IPA: /piˈɑːnəʊ/

#### Adverb

piano (comparative more piano, superlative most piano)
* (music) Softly, as a dynamic in a piece of music. [from 17th c.]
    (abbreviation) p

##### Related terms

* mezzo piano, mp
* pianissimo, pp

##### Translations
#### Adjective

piano (comparative more piano, superlative most piano)
* (music) Soft, quiet.
* (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)
* 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: /piˈanɔ/

### Noun

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

## Azerbaijani
### Etymology

Ultimately from Italian piano.

### Pronunciation

* Audio:(file)

### Noun

piano (definite accusative pianonu, plural pianolar)
* (music) piano

#### Declension
## Catalan
### Pronunciation

* IPA: (Central) [piˈa.nu]
* IPA: (Balearic, Valencia) [piˈa.no]
* Audio:(file)

### Noun

piano m (plural pianos)
* (music) piano

## Czech
### Etymology

Derived from Italian piano.

### Pronunciation

* IPA: [ˈpɪjano]
* IPA: [ˈpɪjaːno]
* Hyphenation: pia‧no

### Noun

piano n
* (music) piano
    Synonyms: klavír, klimpr

#### Declension
### 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: /piˈaːnoː/
* Audio:(file)
* Hyphenation: pi‧a‧no
* Rhymes: -aːnoː

### Noun

piano f or n (plural piano's, diminutive pianootje n)
* (music) piano
    Synonym: pianoforte

#### Derived terms

* pianobouwer
* pianoles
* pianospel

## Esperanto
### Pronunciation

* IPA: [piˈano]
* Audio:(file)
* Rhymes: -ano
* Hyphenation: pi‧a‧no

### Noun

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

#### Derived terms

* pianistino
* pianisto

## Finnish
### Etymology

From Italian piano.

### Pronunciation

* IPA: /ˈpiɑno/, [ˈpiɑ̝no̞]
* Rhymes: -iɑno
* Hyphenation: pia‧no

### Noun

piano
* (music) piano

#### Declension

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
* 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 [Dictionary of Contemporary Finnish]‎ (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: /pja.no/
* Audio:(file)

### Noun

piano m (plural pianos)
* (music) piano
    Il joue du piano avec compétence.He plays the piano competently.
** 1986, “Il était une fois … une maison des musiciens [There Once Was… a House of Musicians]”, in Il était une fois … une petite grenouille [There Once Was… a Little Frog] (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
* pianoter

#### 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: /ˈpja.no/
* Audio (un piano):(file)
* Rhymes: -ano
* Hyphenation: pià‧no

#### Adjective

piano (feminine piana, masculine plural piani, feminine plural piane, superlative pianissimo)
* plane
* flat, level
    Synonym: piatto
* plain
* soft
    Antonym: forte
* penultimate accented

##### Derived terms

* pianamente

##### See also

* levigato
* liscio

#### Noun

piano m (plural piani)
* plane
* floor, storey (British), story (US) (of a building)
* plan, tactic, stratagem, scheme, plot
* (music) piano, as short for pianoforte

##### Synonyms

* progetto
* proposito

#### Adverb

piano (superlative pianissimo)
* slowly
* carefully
* (music) piano

##### Related terms

* piana
* pianificazione
* pianista
* piano piano, pian piano
* pianola

#### Further reading

* piano$^1$ in Treccani.it – Vocabolario Treccani on line, Istituto dell'Enciclopedia Italiana
* piano$^2$ in Treccani.it – Vocabolario Treccani on line, Istituto dell'Enciclopedia Italiana
* piano$^3$ in Treccani.it – Vocabolario Treccani on line, Istituto dell'Enciclopedia Italiana

### Etymology 2

From Pio +‎ -ano.

#### Pronunciation

* IPA: /piˈa.no/
* Rhymes: -ano
* Hyphenation: pi‧à‧no

#### Adjective

piano (feminine piana, masculine plural piani, feminine plural piane)
* (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: /ˈpi.a.no/
* Rhymes: -iano
* Hyphenation: pì‧a‧no

#### Verb

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

### References

* 1 2 3 piano in Luciano Canepari, Dizionario di Pronuncia Italiana (DiPI)

### Anagrams

* opina, paion

## Japanese
### Romanization

piano
* 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)
* 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: [pʲiɑːnʲɔ], (enunciated) [pʲiɑ nʲɔ]
* (phonemic) IPA: /pʲijæɰnʲɛw/
* Bender phonemes: {piyahnew}

### Noun

piano (construct form pianoin)
* a piano

### Verb

piano (person noun ri-piano)
* to play the piano

### References

* Marshallese–English Online Dictionary

## Norman
### Etymology

Borrowed from English piano and French piano.

### Noun

piano m (plural pianos)
* (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)
* (music) piano

#### Related terms

* flygel
* klaver

## Norwegian Nynorsk
### Noun

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

#### Related terms

* flygel
* klaver

## Polish
### Pronunciation

* IPA: /ˈpja.nɔ/
* Audio:(file)
* Rhymes: -anɔ
* Syllabification: pia‧no

### Noun

piano f
* vocative singular of piana

## Portuguese
### Etymology

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

### Pronunciation

* (Brazil) IPA: /piˈɐ̃.nu/ [pɪˈɐ̃.nu]
* (Brazil) IPA: /piˈɐ̃.nu/ [pɪˈɐ̃.nu]
** (Southern Brazil) IPA: /piˈɐ.no/ [pɪˈɐ.no]
* (Portugal) IPA: /ˈpjɐ.nu/
* (Portugal) IPA: /ˈpjɐ.nu/
** (Northern Portugal) IPA: /ˈpja.nu/
* Rhymes: (Portugal) -ɐnu, (Brazil) -ɐ̃nu
* Hyphenation: pi‧a‧no

### Adjective

piano
* piano

### Adverb

piano
* (music) piano, soft
* (music) piano, slowly

### Noun

piano m (plural pianos)
* (music) piano

#### Derived terms

* pianista

#### Descendants

* → Hunsrik: Piano

### References

* ↑ “piano”, in Dicionário infopédia da Língua Portuguesa (in Portuguese), Porto: Porto Editora, 2003–2025

## Romanian
### Etymology

Unadapted borrowing from Italian piano.

### Adverb

piano
* piano

## Slovak
### Pronunciation

* IPA: /ˈpianɔ/

### Adverb

piano
* musical directive to play softly

### Noun

piano n (genitive singular piana, nominative plural pianá, genitive plural pián, declension pattern of mesto)
* (music) piano
    Synonym: klavír
* a very soft sound

#### Declension
### Further reading

* “piano”, in Slovníkový portál Jazykovedného ústavu Ľ. Štúra SAV [Dictionary portal of the Ľ. Štúr Institute of Linguistics, Slovak Academy of Science] (in Slovak), https://slovnik.juls.savba.sk, 2003–2025

## Spanish
### Etymology

Clipping of pianoforte, from Italian pianoforte.

### Pronunciation

* IPA: /ˈpjano/ [ˈpja.no]
* Audio (Colombia):(file)
* Rhymes: -ano
* Syllabification: pia‧no

### Noun

piano m (plural pianos)
* (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 [Dictionary of the Spanish Language] (in Spanish), online version 23.8, Royal Spanish Academy [Spanish: Real Academia Española], 2024 December 10

## Sundanese
### Etymology

From Dutch piano.

### Pronunciation

* IPA: /piˈ(j)a.no/

### Noun

piano (Sundanese script ᮕᮤᮃᮔᮧ)
* piano

### Further reading

* "PIJANO", in Coolsma, S (1913) Soendaneesch-Hollandsch Woordenboek (in Dutch), Leiden: A.W. Sijthoff's Uitgeversmaatschappij

## Swahili
### Etymology

Borrowed from English piano.

### Noun

piano class IX (plural piano class X)
* piano

## Swedish
### Pronunciation

* IPA: /ˈpjɑːnʊ/
* Audio:(file)

### Adverb

piano (not comparable)
* (music) piano

### Noun

piano n
* (music) a piano
    Hypernym: klaver (“keyboard instrument”)

#### 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
* (music) piano

#### Inflection
### References

* Zajceva, N. G., Mullonen, M. I. (2007) “пианино”, in Uz’ venä-vepsläine vajehnik / Novyj russko-vepsskij slovarʹ [New Russian–Veps Dictionary]‎, Petrozavodsk: Periodika

## Vietnamese
### Pronunciation

* (Hà Nội) IPA: [pi˧˧ ʔaː˧˧ no˧˧]
* (Huế) IPA: [pɪj˧˧ ʔaː˧˧ now˧˧]
* (Saigon) IPA: [pɪj˧˧ ʔaː˧˧ now˧˧]
* Phonetic spelling: pi a nô

### Noun

piano
* Alternative spelling of pi-a-nô (“piano”)

## Welsh
### Etymology

Borrowed from English piano.

### Pronunciation

* (North Wales) IPA: /ˈpjano/
* (South Wales) IPA: /ˈpja(ː)no/
* Rhymes: -ano

### Noun

piano f (plural pianoau or pianos)
* (music) piano, pianoforte

### Mutation

Note: Certain mutated forms of some words can never occur in standard Welsh. All possible mutated forms are displayed for convenience.

### 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