Dialogo tra studenti: presentarsi e parlare dell’università

What does “coetaneo” mean in Italian?

Italian has a single word for “people of the same age”: coetaneo. Where English reaches for a whole phrase — “we’re the same age,” “kids my age” — Italian just says siamo coetanei. It works for friends, classmates, or any two people born around the same time, and it shifts to match them: coetaneo (a man), coetanea (a woman), coetanei (a mixed or all-male group), coetanee (women). Handy, exact, and very common in everyday talk.

In the chat, two students compare ages — one is 20, the other 21 — and one sums it up: “Siamo quasi coetanei” (“We’re almost the same age”). Notice quasi (“almost”): even a year apart, the word still fits loosely. More examples: “Siamo coetanei” (we’re the same age); “i miei coetanei” (people my age); “una mia coetanea” (a girl my age). The word comes from Late Latin coaetaneus, built from cum (“with”) and aetas (“age”) — literally “with-age.” A close cousin is coevo, which leans more toward “from the same era.” Both standard across Italy, no regional limits.