soldo

A child saves a shiny soldo in a piggy bank.

Definition

1. Noun:
   • Historical Italian coin: "soldo" refers to a former Italian coin, equal to one-twentieth of a lira, used before the adoption of the euro. It was a small denomination coin made of silver or billon.
   • Monetary unit in accounting: In historical contexts, "soldo" was also used as a unit of account, representing a fixed value in bookkeeping.

Usage Examples

• (A small Italian coin saved as a memento.)
• (The merchant used soldo as a unit of account.)

Advanced Usage

• "Non avere un soldo": an Italian phrase meaning "to not have a penny" or "to be penniless."

  • Dopo il fallimento, non aveva un soldo. (After the bankruptcy, he was completely broke.)

• "Soldo bucato": a term for a coin with a hole, sometimes used in games or as a token.

  • I bambini giocavano con un soldo bucato. (The children played with a holed coin.)

Variants and Related Words

• Soldi (plural noun): the plural form of "soldo," meaning multiple coins or money in general.

  • Mi servono dei soldi per comprare il pane. (I need some money to buy bread.)

• Soldino (noun): a diminutive form, referring to a small soldo coin.

  • Trovò un soldino d'argento nella sabbia. (He found a small silver soldo in the sand.)

Synonyms

• Coin: a small, flat piece of metal used as money.
• Penny: a similar small denomination coin in other currencies (e.g., British penny).
• Cent: a fractional unit of currency in many modern systems.

Related Idioms

• "Non valere un soldo": to be worthless or of no value.

  • La sua promessa non vale un soldo. (His promise is not worth a penny.)

• "Avere il soldo in tasca": to have money readily available.

  • Non preoccuparti, ho il soldo in tasca. (Don't worry, I have the money in my pocket.)