Sinfonietta

sinfonietta; short or lighter symphony

noun zin-foh-nee-ET-ah Rare

Origin: from Italian, diminutive of sinfonia

Also means

small symphony orchestra

Usage Note

Sinfonietta denotes either a small-scale symphony or a small orchestra, often specialising in lighter or modern repertoire. Janáček's Sinfonietta is one of the best-known examples.

Examples

"Die Sinfonietta der Stadt trat bei zahlreichen Stadtfesten auf."

Natural Translation

The city sinfonietta performed at numerous city festivals.

Literal Translation

The sinfonietta of the city appeared at numerous city festivals.

Related Words

Explore German by topic

GermanNow

German Adjective Endings Made Simple

German adjective endings come down to one question, not three tables: does the article already show gender and case? If yes, the adjective stays lazy.

June 5, 2026 6 min read

GermanNow

How to Tell Time in German Without Mistakes

Halb sieben means 6:30, not 7:30. Master telling time in German — Viertel nach, halb, vor, the 24-hour clock, and the prepositions that trip up beginners.

June 5, 2026 5 min read

GermanNow

How to Memorize German Vocabulary Fast

Memorize German vocabulary fast with a five-step workflow: drill the top 100 words, learn nouns with their article, color-code gender, and use spaced repetition

June 5, 2026 6 min read

GermanNow

German Word Order: The Verb Rules That Trip You Up

German word order comes down to three verb-position rules: the verb is second in main clauses, last after weil and dass, and time comes before place.

June 5, 2026 6 min read