Food and Drink in Italian
Italian cuisine is known worldwide for its rich flavors and variety. Whether you’re a food lover or planning to visit Italy, knowing some basic Italian food and drink vocabulary can greatly enhance your experience. This step-by-step class will help you get started.
Familiarize yourself with the basics
Start by learning these common Italian words for food and drink:
- Food
- Il cibo
- (eel CHEE-bo)
- Drink
- La bevanda
- (lah be-VAN-dah)
- Water
- L’acqua
- (LAHK-wah)
- Wine
- Il vino
- (eel VEE-no)
- Beer
- La birra
- (lah BEER-rah)
- Bread
- Il pane
- (eel PAH-neh)
- Cheese
- Il formaggio
- (eel for-MAH-joh)
- Pasta
- La pasta
- (lah PAS-tah)
- Rice
- Il riso
- (eel REE-so)
- Meat
- La carne
- (lah CAR-neh)
- Fish
- Il pesce
- (eel PES-cheh)
- Vegetables
- La verdura
- (lah ver-DOO-rah)
- Fruits
- La frutta
- (lah FROOT-tah)
- Dessert
- Il dolce
- (eel DOL-cheh)
- Coffee
- Il caffè
- (eel kah-FEH)
Learn related vocabulary
Here, we delve deeper into the topic with more specific vocabulary. We’ll cover terms for breakfast foods, popular Italian dishes, and dining out phrases.
Breakfast foods:
- Cereal
- I cereali
- (ee cheh-REH-ah-lee)
- Milk
- Il latte
- (eel LAHT-teh)
- Orange juice
- Il succo d’arancia
- (eel SOO-koh dar-AN-cha)
- Jam
- La marmellata
- (lah mar-meh-LAH-tah)
- Omelette
- La frittata
- (lah freet-TAH-tah)
Popular Italian dishes:
- Pizza
- La pizza
- (lah PEET-sah)
- Lasagna
- Le lasagne
- (leh lah-ZAHN-ye)
- Tiramisu
- Il tiramisù
- (eel tee-rah-mee-SOO)
- Ice cream
- Il gelato
- (eel jeh-LAH-toh)
- Bruschetta
- La bruschetta
- (lah broo-SKET-tah)
Dining out phrases:
- Menu
- Il menu
- (eel MEH-noo)
- Order
- L’ordinazione
- (lor-dee-na-TSEE-o-neh)
- Bill
- Il conto
- (eel KON-toh)
- Tip
- La mancia
- (lah MAHN-cha)
- Reservation
- La prenotazione
- (lah preh-no-ta-TSEE-o-neh)
Knowing the Italian vocabulary for food and drink will not only make your dining experiences more enjoyable but also help you navigate through Italian markets and menus. Use this guide as a starting point and continue to expand your vocabulary. Keep practicing, and before you know it, you’ll be ordering your meals in Italian with ease!
To access a comprehensive list of food and drink vocabulary in Italian with audio, tap the button below.
