Meaning & use
ballerino
Last updated
Meaning
nouncountable
A male ballet dancer.
Grammar: Countable noun; plural is ballerinos or ballerini.
Patterns
- a ballerino
- the ballerino
He trained for years to become a professional ballerino.
The ballerino lifted his partner effortlessly during the performance.
Many people simply say 'male ballet dancer' instead of ballerino.
Word forms
| plural | ballerinos |
|---|---|
| plural (Italian) | ballerini |
Common combinations
- principal ballerino
- He was promoted to principal ballerino after the tour.
- young ballerino
- The young ballerino impressed everyone with his leaps.
- professional ballerino
- She married a professional ballerino from the same company.
Synonyms and how they differ
- ballet dancer
- The general term for any ballet dancer, male or female; 'ballerino' specifically means a male dancer.
Opposites
Word family
Commonly confused: ballerino or ballerina?
ballerino vs ballerina
Ballerina usually means a female ballet dancer; ballerino is the male equivalent. Some English speakers use 'ballerina' for both, but this is less precise.
Practice
Which word correctly completes the sentence: 'The ________ performed a solo in Swan Lake.'?
Choose one answer.
The sentence refers to one male dancer, so the singular 'ballerino' is correct. 'Ballerina' is female, and the plurals 'ballerinos' and 'ballerini' would not agree with the singular subject.
Make it your own
Write a sentence using “ballerino”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.