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piano

pee-AH-nohˈpja.no

“piano” means “piano” in Spanish. It has 2 different meanings depending on context:

piano

NounmA1
A detailed illustration of a polished, black grand piano with the lid propped open, showing the keys and internal strings.

📝 In Action

Mi hermano toca el piano desde que era niño.

A1

My brother has played the piano since he was a child.

Necesitamos mover el piano de la sala al estudio.

A2

We need to move the piano from the living room to the study.

Ella prefiere el sonido de un piano acústico en lugar de uno digital.

B1

She prefers the sound of an acoustic piano instead of a digital one.

Word Connections

Common Collocations

  • tocar el piano – to play the piano
  • clases de piano – piano lessons
  • piano de cola – grand piano

softly

Also: quietly
AdverbB2formal
A small, delicate, pale blue sound wave floating gently across a quiet, muted background, symbolizing soft volume.

📝 In Action

El violín debe entrar piano en el compás dieciséis.

B2

The violin must enter softly (quietly) at measure sixteen.

La partitura indica que esa sección se toca 'piano, piano', es decir, muy suave.

C1

The score indicates that that section is played 'piano, piano,' meaning very softly.

Word Connections

Antonyms

  • forte (loudly)

Translate to Spanish

Words that translate to "piano" in Spanish:

piano→quietly→softly→

✏️ Quick Practice

Quick Quiz: piano

Question 1 of 2

If a composer writes 'tocar piano' in the sheet music, what does it mean?

📚 More Resources

👥 Word Family▼
pianista(pianist) — Noun
pianístico(pianistic) — Adjective
🎵 Rhymes▼
📚 Etymology▼

This word is a shortened version of the Italian term *pianoforte*. It literally means 'soft-loud,' because the instrument was revolutionary for allowing players to control the volume, unlike earlier keyboard instruments.

First recorded: 18th century (in its current form)

Cognates (Related words)

Italian: pianoEnglish: piano

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Frequently Asked Questions

Why is 'piano' a masculine word when it ends in '-o'?

'Piano' is masculine (el piano) because most Spanish nouns ending in '-o' are masculine. While there are a few exceptions, this is the standard pattern.

Is the word 'piano' originally Spanish?

No. 'Piano' is one of many musical terms borrowed directly from Italian, which is the traditional language for classical music notation.