How do you pronounce Cinelli?

chriskempton

I've always said shin-elli, but having recently been to Italy and grappling with the lingo a bit, I reckon it probably should be chin-elli. Some people say sin-elli, but I've never heard kin-elli.

Anyone know?

finchy

Ch

freehub

I always say sinelli.

Splottboy

I'll ask Joe Dolce, ( Dol - ch - aye.)

He'll probably tell me to "Saddup'a you face!"

Pross

It's pronounced chinelli. A c in Italian gets pronounced as a hard k sound if it precedes an h e.g. Claudio Chiapucci.

See here for a better explanation http://www.ilovelanguages.com/Italian/lesson2.html

chriskempton

Pross wrote:

It's pronounced chinelli. A c in Italian gets pronounced as a hard k sound if it precedes an h e.g. Claudio Chiapucci.

See here for a better explanation http://www.ilovelanguages.com/Italian/lesson2.html

Thanks Pross I think you have it, but sometimes a 'c' without an 'h' can be a hard sound can't it. e.g. cucina (kitchen) is pronounced koo-cheena ?

Pross

Yep.

The Italian c has 2 possible sounds. It can sound like the ch in chip, or like the k in kite. Unlike English, there are very strict rules about when the Italian c sounds like a ch or a k. If the c precedes (comes before) an e or an i, the c will have a ch sound. For example, undici. If the group ci precedes an a, o or u, it is also pronounced as ch AND the i is mute : ciao sounds as English chao. If the c precedes any other letter (a, o, u, or a consonant, although the latter is very rare), then it will have a k sound, as in comodo. If the group ch precedes an i, or an e, it is pronounced as k : chi sounds as English kee. The word cucina has both types of c in it - the first c makes the k sound, and the second c makes the ch sound.

That said I've always called it Sinelli :oops:

disgruntledgoat

I've always said Chinelli... Proving I am considerably more Euro Cyclist than Yow!

Limburger

Chin-elli, Chip-olini etc

kurako

Italian pronounciation is pretty simple if you remember the rules:

c is a hard sound if it's followed by a, o or u and a soft sound if it is followed be e or i. (cucina is a good example since it has one example of each).

the h is required to indicate a hard sound with e or i ( bianchi for instance ).

will3

Pross wrote:

It's pronounced chinelli. A c in Italian gets pronounced as a hard k sound if it precedes an h e.g. Claudio Chiapucci.

See here for a better explanation http://www.ilovelanguages.com/Italian/lesson2.html

so that's Chlaudio Kiapucci then?

owenlars

How do you pronounce Claudio then?

Splottboy

Chips...and fish...

Cheeeeps and Feeeeeshh, no?

alfablue

Kurako wrote:

Italian pronounciation is pretty simple if you remember the rules:

c is a hard sound if it's followed by a, o or u and a soft sound if it is followed be e or i. (cucina is a good example since it has one example of each).

the h is required to indicate a hard sound with e or i ( bianchi for instance ).

so there seem to be 3 possibilities, k, ch or s. . .

By hard sound you mean K
By soft sound you mean s or do you mean ch?

so is cucina = koo china or koo sina?

kurako

will3 wrote:

Pross wrote:

It's pronounced chinelli. A c in Italian gets pronounced as a hard k sound if it precedes an h e.g. Claudio Chiapucci.

See here for a better explanation http://www.ilovelanguages.com/Italian/lesson2.html

so that's Chlaudio Kiapucci then?

Yep. The the 'Ch' is a 'K' sound. The 'cci' is also soft but a bit of a longer sound. The 'ia' tends to run together so it sound more like just 'a'. A bit like 'Kaput' with a 'chee' sound at the end.

kurako

alfablue wrote:

Kurako wrote:

Italian pronounciation is pretty simple if you remember the rules:

c is a hard sound if it's followed by a, o or u and a soft sound if it is followed be e or i. (cucina is a good example since it has one example of each).

the h is required to indicate a hard sound with e or i ( bianchi for instance ).

so there seem to be 3 possibilities, k, ch or s. . .

By hard sound you mean K
By soft sound you mean s or do you mean ch?

so is cucina = koo china or koo sina?

Its never 's' in Italian. If they want an s sound they write an 's'.

Oh! and there's only 21 letters in the alphabet

alfablue

Kurako wrote:

alfablue wrote:

Kurako wrote:

Italian pronounciation is pretty simple if you remember the rules:

c is a hard sound if it's followed by a, o or u and a soft sound if it is followed be e or i. (cucina is a good example since it has one example of each).

the h is required to indicate a hard sound with e or i ( bianchi for instance ).

so there seem to be 3 possibilities, k, ch or s. . .

By hard sound you mean K
By soft sound you mean s or do you mean ch?

so is cucina = koo china or koo sina?

Its never 's' in Italian. If they want an s sound they write an 's'.

Oh! and there's only 21 letters in the alphabet

great, thanks I can tackle it all now (been wondering about the local Italian restaurant - "Cibo" so its "Chibo" )

Coriander

Where you split the syllables also matters - it's /chi-nelli/, not /chin-elli/.


Just in case people are confused it's essentially the opposite in Italian to English

Italian 'ci' = English 'chi' as in 'che-ese'
Italian 'chi' = English 'ki' as in 'key'

Splottboy

Llanfairpwllgwyngyllgogerych-wyrndrobwllllantysiliogogogoch.

Just up the road from me, in Anglesey, Ynys Mon, Mon Mam Cymru...
( Why the hell does the island have 3 names?)

Ok, your turn, boyo!

guilliano

According to the importer it's Chinelli

ilm_zero7

Splottboy wrote:

Chips...and fish...

Cheeeeps and Feeeeeshh, no?

actually that is exactly how it is said in my local chippy staffed by Chinesse - except it is normally Cheeeeeep - singular!

hopper1

Sinelli
Rightly, or wrongly, it's Sinelli for me.

domhnall_dearg

hopper1 wrote:

Sinelli
Rightly, or wrongly, it's Sinelli for me.

That would be wrongly then

hopper1

Domhnall Dearg wrote:

hopper1 wrote:

Sinelli
Rightly, or wrongly, it's Sinelli for me.

That would be wrongly then

It's my bike, and I'll call it what I like!

skyd0g

hopper1 wrote:

Domhnall Dearg wrote:

hopper1 wrote:

Sinelli
Rightly, or wrongly, it's Sinelli for me.

That would be wrongly then

It's my bike, and I'll call it what I like!

Overpriced and Italian then?



*runs for cover*

cycologist

Now we've learnt to say Cinelli , boys and girls, we will now move on to "Campagnolo" .

mercsport

cycologist wrote:

Now we've learnt to say Cinelli , boys and girls, we will now move on to "Campagnolo" .

"Kampan-yolo" .. is somewhere about what it ought to be.

But back to the Cinelli business : Although I skimmed most of the answers to this one, I didn't pick up on anyone stressing the 'i' to be pronounced 'eee'. So seemingly the consensus on here is : 'Chin-elli'. Wrong! Try this: 'Chee-nell-ee'. Right

OK, say it quicky enough it sounds-to our ears- like 'Chin-elli' and isn't so readily apparent, but like 'Grazie', the Italians would say and think 'Grahtz-ee-er' and Chee-nell-ee'.

Italians though, are an accommodating lot and large enough to let our anglicised fumblings pass without comment.

hopper1

cycologist wrote:

Now we've learnt to say Cinelli , boys and girls, we will now move on to "Campagnolo" .

Easy...

Sampy, innit!

bill57

Don't forget La Cicciolina...............

SteppenHerring

What about Cicero then? Sisero, Chikero or Kikero?

And I could never forget La Cicciolina.

mercsport

SteppenHerring wrote:

What about Cicero then? Sisero, Chikero or Kikero?

And I could never forget La Cicciolina.

Remember, 'i' is pronounced 'ee' : 'Chee-che-r'oh' and 'Lah Chee-chee-oh-lee-na'

Yikes! !!