If you have come across the Italian word pericolo, its most common English meaning is danger. Depending on the sentence, it can also be translated as risk, hazard, peril, or, in some contexts, menace. Cambridge lists pericolo as a masculine Italian noun and gives danger, hazard, and risk as its principal English translations. 

The word is useful in many everyday expressions, including essere in pericolo (to be in danger), fuori pericolo (out of danger), mettere in pericolo (to endanger), and pericolo di caduta (danger of falling or fall hazard). This guide explains the pericolo meaning, pronunciation, grammar, translations, and the specific phrases included in common searches.

What Does Pericolo Mean in Italian?

Pericolo is an Italian masculine noun that primarily means danger. It describes a situation, person, thing, or possibility that could cause harm, loss, difficulty, or an undesirable outcome.

Depending on context, English translations include danger, risk, hazard, peril, and sometimes menace. Cambridge also gives risk or danger for figurative uses involving probability or possibility. 

For example:

C’è un pericolo.
There is a danger.

Another example is:

Sono in pericolo.
I am in danger.

Collins likewise translates pericolo primarily as danger and gives common constructions such as essere in pericolo and mettere in pericolo. 

Pericolo meaning at a glance

Italian	English
pericolo	danger
un pericolo	a danger
pericolo di morte	risk of death / danger of death
essere in pericolo	to be in danger
essere fuori pericolo	to be out of danger
mettere in pericolo	to endanger / put in danger
pericolo di caduta	danger of falling / fall hazard
pericolo in vista	danger ahead / danger in sight
pericolo pubblico	public menace

Pericolo Meaning in English

The most direct pericolo meaning in English is danger. However, a single English word does not always capture every use.

For example, pericolo may refer to an actual dangerous situation, a potential hazard, or a possibility of something undesirable happening. Cambridge gives danger, hazard, and risk as translations according to context. 

Danger

Danger is the most common translation.

Il bambino è in pericolo.
The child is in danger.

Risk

Pericolo can also mean risk when discussing the possibility that something bad may happen.

C’è pericolo di pioggia.
There is a risk of rain.

The best English translation therefore depends on the complete sentence rather than the isolated word.

Pericolo Italian Meaning and Pronunciation

In Italian, pericolo is pronounced approximately:

peh-REE-koh-loh

Cambridge gives the pronunciation as /peˈrikolo/ and identifies pericolo as a masculine noun. 

The grammatical article is generally il:

il pericolo = the danger

The plural is:

i pericoli = the dangers

Related Italian words

Understanding related words can make the vocabulary easier to remember:

• pericolo danger
• pericoli dangers
• pericoloso dangerous
• pericolosa dangerous, feminine form
• pericolosamente dangerously
• pericolosità dangerousness / hazardous nature

The core idea in all these forms is connected with danger or risk.

Meaning of Pericolo in Italian

For someone learning Italian, it is useful to understand that pericolo already is the Italian word. Therefore, searches such as meaning of pericolo in Italian are asking for the Italian definition rather than an English translation.

In Italian, pericolo refers to a situation or condition that presents danger or risk. It can also describe a person or thing that poses a threat.

For example:

Questa strada è un pericolo.
This road is a danger.

A person can also be described figuratively as a pericolo pubblico, which Cambridge and Collins translate as public menace. 

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Common Expressions With Pericolo

The word pericolo frequently appears in fixed or semi-fixed expressions. Learning these phrases is more useful than memorizing the noun by itself because the surrounding words determine the most natural English translation.

Essere in pericolo

Essere in pericolo means to be in danger.

La città è in pericolo.
The city is in danger.

Cambridge specifically lists trovarsi in pericolo as to be in danger. 

Mettere in pericolo

Mettere in pericolo means to put in danger or to endanger.

Non mettere in pericolo gli altri.
Don’t put others in danger.

Collins gives mettere in pericolo as to endanger or put in danger. 

Essere fuori pericolo

Essere fuori pericolo means to be out of danger.

It is also used in medical contexts to indicate that someone is no longer considered to be in immediate danger.

Il paziente è fuori pericolo.
The patient is out of danger.

Both Cambridge and Collins list this expression. 

Pericolo di Caduta Meaning

Pericolo di caduta means danger of falling, risk of falling, or fall hazard.

The exact English wording depends on the situation. For example, on a safety sign, fall hazard may sound more natural than a literal translation. Translation references give all of these meanings. 

Examples of pericolo di caduta

Attenzione: pericolo di caduta.
Warning: fall hazard.

C’è pericolo di caduta dalle scale.
There is a danger of falling from the stairs.

The phrase can refer to falling from a height, falling on a slippery surface, falling rocks, or another situation where falling presents a hazard.

Pericolo in Vista Meaning

Pericolo in vista literally contains the ideas of danger and in sight. In natural English, it is commonly translated as:

• Danger ahead
• Danger in sight
• Danger approaching
• Impending danger

The phrase in vista can mean in sight, while pericolo in vista is also used to communicate that danger is ahead or approaching. 

For example:

Pericolo in vista!
Danger ahead!

This expression can be literal, such as a warning about an approaching hazard, or figurative when someone anticipates a difficult situation.

Pericolo di Conoscerti Meaning

The phrase pericolo di conoscerti is not a separate dictionary definition of pericolo. It is a phrase whose meaning comes from the individual words.

• pericolo = danger
• di = of/to
• conoscerti = to know you / to meet you, depending on context

Therefore, pericolo di conoscerti can literally be understood as danger of getting to know you or danger of meeting you.

The most natural English translation depends heavily on the surrounding sentence. It could be literal, poetic, humorous, romantic, or metaphorical.

For example:

C’è il pericolo di conoscerti troppo bene.
There is a danger of getting to know you too well.

This is different from treating pericolo di conoscerti as a fixed Italian idiom.

Pericolo Meaning | Danger, Risk, Hazard or Peril?

Although these English words overlap, they are not always interchangeable.

Danger

Danger is the broadest and most common translation.

Il pericolo è reale.
The danger is real.

Risk

Risk emphasizes the possibility that something undesirable may happen.

C’è un pericolo di incendio.
There is a risk of fire.

Hazard

Hazard often refers to something that can cause harm.

Questo è un pericolo per la sicurezza.
This is a safety hazard.

Peril

Peril is a more formal or dramatic word for serious danger.

Era in grave pericolo.
He was in great peril.

Cambridge and Collins both provide multiple English equivalents because the appropriate translation depends on context. 

Pericolo vs. Pericoloso

These two words are related but have different grammatical functions.

Pericolo is a noun meaning danger or risk.

Pericoloso is an adjective meaning dangerous.

Compare:

C’è un pericolo.
There is a danger.

È pericoloso.
It is dangerous.

The distinction is similar to English danger versus dangerous.

Quick comparison

Italian word	Part of speech	English
pericolo	noun	danger
pericoli	plural noun	dangers
pericoloso	adjective	dangerous
pericolosa	adjective	dangerous
pericolosamente	adverb	dangerously
pericolosità	noun	dangerousness

Pericolo in Everyday Italian

You may encounter pericolo in warnings, conversations, news, safety instructions, and figurative expressions.

Useful examples

• Attenzione, pericolo! Attention, danger!
• Sono in pericolo. I am in danger.
• È fuori pericolo. He/She is out of danger.
• Non c’è pericolo. There is no danger.
• Mettere qualcuno in pericolo. To put someone in danger.
• Pericolo di morte. Risk of death.
• Pericolo di caduta. Fall hazard.
• Pericolo in vista. Danger ahead.
• Un pericolo pubblico. A public menace.
• Evitare il pericolo. Avoid the danger.
• Affrontare un pericolo. Face a danger.
• Essere consapevole del pericolo. Be aware of the danger.

10 Key Facts About Pericolo

1. Pericolo is an Italian noun.
2. Its most common English translation is danger.
3. It is a masculine noun.
4. Its approximate pronunciation is peh-REE-koh-loh.
5. The plural form is pericoli.
6. It can also mean risk or hazard depending on context.
7. Essere in pericolo means to be in danger.
8. Mettere in pericolo means to endanger or put in danger.
9. Pericolo di caduta means danger of falling or fall hazard.
10. Pericolo in vista can mean danger ahead or danger in sight.

Conclusion

The main pericolo meaning is danger in English, but the Italian noun can also express risk, hazard, peril, or a threat depending on context. It is a masculine noun pronounced approximately peh-REE-koh-loh, with the plural pericoli. 

Understanding the phrases around the word makes its meaning much clearer. Essere in pericolo means to be in danger, mettere in pericolo means to endanger, pericolo di caduta means fall hazard, and pericolo in vista can mean danger ahead. For phrases such as pericolo di conoscerti, the surrounding sentence is essential because the phrase is interpreted compositionally rather than as a fixed dictionary expression.