Conto

Conto is a term found in several Romance languages and used in different domains. In Italian, conto primarily denotes a bill or invoice and also an account or balance. It is used in phrases such as “il conto è saldato” (the bill is settled) and “apri un conto corrente” (open a current account). The verb contare is to count, and “fare un conto” means to make a calculation or estimate. In financial contexts, “conto” forms compound terms such as “conto corrente” (checking or current account) and “libro dei conti” (ledger).

In Portuguese, by contrast, conto means a short narrative or tale. It is a staple term in literature, with phrases like “conto popular” (folk tale) and “conto literário” (short story). Plural “contos” covers both folktales and literary short stories. The sense is distinct from the Italian financial usage despite identical spelling in written form.

Notes: The word does not have a single meaning across all languages, and its interpretation depends on context and language. In some other languages with similar forms, conto may appear in historical or regional texts with different meanings. Related terms include racconto in Italian for a fictional short story, and conto in Portuguese contexts specifically as storytelling. See also: racconto; conta; conto corrente.