In Italian, echo translates to eco. Like in English, eco refers to the phenomenon of sound reflecting off a surface, causing it to repeat or resonate. This typically happens in places such as mountains, large halls, or caves, where the sound bounces back after hitting a surface.
For example:
Ho sentito l’eco delle mie parole nella caverna – I heard the echo of my words in the cave.
Le montagne restituiscono sempre un eco forte – The mountains always give back a strong echo.
Apart from its literal meaning, eco can also be used metaphorically, much like in English. It can describe something that is repeated or remembered, such as an idea or feeling that lingers in someone’s mind:
Le sue parole hanno lasciato un eco dentro di me – His words left an echo inside me.
It’s also worth noting that eco is a feminine noun, but in the singular form, it takes the masculine article un, which is an exception to the typical gender rules in Italian. In the plural form, it becomes echi, and uses the feminine article le.