nascere
/ˈnaʃ.ʃe.re/
Definition
To be born; to come into existence or to start. Used for people, animals, ideas, and more.
Example
Mia sorella è nata in una piccola città del nord.
Show translation
My sister was born in a small city in the north.
Etymology
From Latin *nāscī* (to be born), a deponent verb derived from the Proto-Indo-European root *ǵenh₁-* (to give birth, to produce), which also gave English "nature," "native," and "nation." The Italian form underwent regular phonological change: the Latin *sc* cluster in the infinitive stem produced the characteristic Italian geminate */ʃʃ/* (written *sc* before *e/i*).
Cultural note
In Italian, *nascere* conjugates with the auxiliary *essere* in compound tenses, not *avere* — so it's *sono nato/a* (I was born), never *ho nato*. This is a common early error for learners coming from French or Spanish. Italians also use *nascere* figuratively in everyday speech: *da qui nasce un'idea* (from here an idea is born), or the proverb *non si nasce imparati* — "nobody is born already knowing everything."