Italian words for kids · Body
How to say “hands” in Italian
Hands are used in nearly every action song: clapping, waving, counting on fingers. That makes the word one kids hear constantly.
Hands in Italian
le mani
Sounds like ≈ leh MAH-nee
Good to know: La mano is feminine even though it ends in -o, and its plural is le mani. Battere le mani = to clap.
Hear it in a song
Real lines from our Italian songs, with the English meaning shown in the app:
Ecco le mani!
Here are my hands!
from Due Mani, Due Piedi (Two Hands, Two Feet)
Batti le mani!
Clap your hands!
from Se Sei Felice (If You're Happy)
Mani in alto!
Hands up high!
from Batti le Mani (Clap Your Hands)
3 songs that teach it
“Hands” is one of the key words in these songs. Every line is shown in Italian with its English meaning.
Due Mani, Due Piedi
Two Hands, Two Feet · My Body · Premium
- mani · hands
- piedi · feet
- dita · fingers
- braccia · arms
Se Sei Felice
If You're Happy · Feelings · Premium
- felice · happy
- battere le mani · to clap
- mani · hands
- piede · foot
Batti le Mani
Clap Your Hands · Actions & Movement · Premium
- battere le mani · to clap
- mani · hands
- su · up
- giù · down
Also sung in: Uno, Due, Tre, Muovo il Corpo, Come Ti Senti?, Cosa Mi Metto?, La Pioggia, Freddo e Caldo, Balla con Me, I Fiori and 10 more.
Practice ideas for parents
- 1Clap your mani every time the word comes up in a song.
- 2Wash hands together and name them: "mani!" before the soap goes on.
- 3Trace around both hands and count the fingers in Italian.
Related Italian words
“Hands” in other languages
Sing it in Italian, free
The first unit, 6 greeting songs with lyrics and English translation, is free forever. No card needed. Premium unlocks all 134 songs.
About the pronunciation: the “sounds like” spellings are rough English approximations for parents (capital letters show the stressed syllable). Italianhas sounds English doesn't, so treat them as a starting point and let the songs be the model. Songs are original and produced with AI music tools. Ideas for using Italian songs with your family.