Italian Words Used in English: 50 Loanwords
🇮🇹 Italian · 50 cards · A2 · by Giulia Ferrante
English has borrowed hundreds of Italian words, and plenty of them arrived slightly bent out of shape. Order "a latte" in Bologna and you get a glass of milk; ask for peperoni on your pizza and you get sweet peppers. Panini, biscotti, graffiti and paparazzi are all plurals that English treats as singulars.
These 50 cards run from food and coffee through music to everyday words like casino and fiasco. Learn the Italian meaning first, then read the note: that is where the gap between the English word and the Italian one is explained. I go through this set with travellers before their first trip, because it saves a few menu mistakes.
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How to use this deck
Flip through the cards, then switch to Quiz. Tap the play button on any row to hear it. The full table below is there to read, print or copy into your own flashcard app.
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All 50 cards
| # | Italian | English | Example | Audio |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | ciao Informal only; means both hello and goodbye. With strangers or older people use buongiorno or salve. | hi, bye | Ciao, ci vediamo domani! Bye, see you tomorrow! | |
| 2 | grazie Grazie mille is literally "a thousand thanks". The standard reply is prego. | thank you | Grazie mille per l'aiuto. Thanks a lot for the help. | |
| 3 | prego Multi-purpose politeness word: after you, go ahead, here you are, you're welcome. | you're welcome; please, go ahead | Prego, si accomodi. Please, have a seat. | |
| 4 | bravo Agrees with the person: brava, bravi, brave. In Italy it usually describes someone as capable or well-behaved, not only a shout at the opera. | good at something, skilled; well done | Sei stato bravo all'esame. You did well in the exam. | |
| 5 | pizza In a restaurant one pizza is one person's portion, not slices to share. Che pizza! also means "how boring!" | pizza | Stasera ordiniamo una pizza. Tonight let's order a pizza. | |
| 6 | pasta Feminine. Also means dough, and in a bar una pasta is a small breakfast pastry. | pasta; dough; pastry | La pasta è quasi pronta. The pasta is almost ready. | |
| 7 | spaghetti Plural; one strand is uno spaghetto. Literally "little strings", from spago. | spaghetti | Ho fatto gli spaghetti al pomodoro. I made spaghetti with tomato sauce. | |
| 8 | lasagne Normally plural in Italian, because the dish is made of many sheets; one sheet is una lasagna. American English uses the singular, lasagna. | lasagne, lasagna | Le lasagne della nonna sono imbattibili. Grandma's lasagne is unbeatable. | |
| 9 | risotto From riso, rice. Traditionally a northern Italian dish. | risotto | Il risotto va mescolato spesso. Risotto needs to be stirred often. | |
| 10 | gnocchi Plural; one is uno gnocco. The gn- sounds like the ny in canyon. As slang, uno gnocco means a good-looking guy (colloquial, a bit crude). | gnocchi, potato dumplings | Gli gnocchi cuociono in due minuti. Gnocchi cook in two minutes. | |
| 11 | panino English "a panini" is really the Italian plural, panini. One is un panino; if you want it hot, ask for un panino caldo. | sandwich, filled bread roll | Mi prendo un panino al prosciutto. I'll get a ham sandwich. | |
| 12 | biscotto Any kind of cookie. The hard almond ones sold abroad as "biscotti" are cantucci or cantuccini. | biscuit, cookie | Inzuppo i biscotti nel latte. I dip the biscuits in milk. | |
| 13 | gelato The ordinary Italian word for ice cream, not a fancy subtype. Also the past participle of gelare, to freeze. | ice cream | Prendiamo un gelato dopo cena? Shall we get an ice cream after dinner? | |
| 14 | espresso In a bar just say un caffè: espresso is the default. Drinking at the counter is cheaper than sitting at a table. | espresso | Un espresso al banco, per favore. An espresso at the counter, please. | |
| 15 | cappuccino Named after the brown habit of Capuchin friars. Italians rarely order one after a meal. | cappuccino | Il cappuccino si beve a colazione. Cappuccino is drunk at breakfast. | |
| 16 | latte Classic false friend: ask for un latte and you get plain milk. The coffee drink is un latte macchiato. | milk | Compra un litro di latte. Buy a litre of milk. | |
| 17 | tiramisù Literally "pull me up". Stress on the final u, which carries a written accent. | tiramisu | Ho preparato il tiramisù per domani. I made tiramisu for tomorrow. | |
| 18 | mozzarella From mozzare, to cut off, because the curd is pinched by hand. The buffalo-milk version is mozzarella di bufala. | mozzarella | Questa mozzarella è freschissima. This mozzarella is really fresh. | |
| 19 | parmigiano Full name Parmigiano Reggiano. "Parmesan" reached English through French. | Parmesan cheese | Vuoi un po' di parmigiano sulla pasta? Do you want some Parmesan on your pasta? | |
| 20 | prosciutto On its own it means ham of any kind: crudo is dry-cured, cotto is cooked. English "prosciutto" always means the crudo type. | ham | Vorrei due etti di prosciutto crudo. I'd like 200 grams of cured ham. | |
| 21 | salame English "salami" is the Italian plural, salami. Calling someone un salame means they are a bit slow or clumsy (informal). | salami | Ho comprato un salame per l'aperitivo. I bought a salami for the aperitivo. | |
| 22 | peperoni Big false friend, and note the single p in the middle. Singular un peperone. American pepperoni sausage is salame piccante; chilli is peperoncino. | bell peppers, sweet peppers | Ho fatto i peperoni al forno. I made roasted peppers. | |
| 23 | pesto From pestare, to pound. With no adjective, Italians assume the basil one from Liguria. | pesto | Il pesto genovese si fa nel mortaio. Genoese pesto is made in a mortar. | |
| 24 | bruschetta Pronounced bru-SKET-ta, never "brushetta": ch is always a hard k sound in Italian. | bruschetta, grilled bread with garlic and oil | La bruschetta al pomodoro è buonissima. Tomato bruschetta is delicious. | |
| 25 | focaccia Pronounced fo-KACH-cha, with a long ch. Regional names vary: in Genoa it is also called fugassa. | focaccia, flat oven-baked bread | A Genova la focaccia si mangia a colazione. In Genoa focaccia is eaten for breakfast. | |
| 26 | antipasto Literally "before the meal" (pasto = meal), not "before the pasta". Plural antipasti. | starter, appetizer | Come antipasto prendiamo affettati misti. As a starter let's have mixed cold cuts. | |
| 27 | al dente Literally "to the tooth". Also used for rice, green beans and broccoli. | firm to the bite | Scola la pasta al dente. Drain the pasta while it's still firm. | |
| 28 | aperitivo A social ritual, not just a drink. In Milan it often comes with a buffet; an apericena replaces dinner altogether. | pre-dinner drink with snacks | Ci vediamo per un aperitivo alle sette? Shall we meet for a drink at seven? | |
| 29 | zucchina Also zucchino in some regions. American "zucchini" is the plural of zucchino. | courgette, zucchini | Stasera faccio le zucchine grigliate. Tonight I'm making grilled courgettes. | |
| 30 | rucola American English "arugula" comes from a southern dialect form, not from standard rucola. | rocket, arugula | Metti un po' di rucola sulla pizza. Put some rocket on the pizza. | |
| 31 | maestro In Italy it is the everyday word for a primary-school teacher or an instructor. Feminine: maestra. English kept mainly the musical sense. | primary-school teacher; master; conductor | Il maestro di mio figlio è molto paziente. My son's teacher is very patient. | |
| 32 | tempo Che tempo fa? means "what's the weather like?" The musical sense is only one of several. | time; weather; tempo | Non ho tempo, scusa. I don't have time, sorry. | |
| 33 | piano Four common meanings. The instrument's full name is pianoforte; primo piano is the first floor (and a close-up in film). | slowly, quietly; floor; plan; piano | Vai piano, c'è ghiaccio. Go slowly, there's ice. | |
| 34 | solo Everyday word. Da solo means "on one's own"; the musical solo exists but is secondary. | only; alone | Sono solo le otto. It's only eight o'clock. | |
| 35 | concerto One word covers a rock gig and a Vivaldi concerto. Andare a un concerto = to go to a gig. | concert; concerto | Andiamo al concerto sabato sera. We're going to the concert on Saturday night. | |
| 36 | soprano From sopra, above. Grammatically masculine (il soprano) even when the singer is a woman. | soprano | Quel soprano ha una voce incredibile. That soprano has an incredible voice. | |
| 37 | diva Literally "goddess". Admiring about a singer, or a dig at someone demanding, exactly as in English. | diva, female star | Si comporta come una diva. She acts like a diva. | |
| 38 | opera Means "work" first of all; the music genre is properly opera lirica. Plural opere. | work; opera | Questa è un'opera d'arte. This is a work of art. | |
| 39 | ballerina Any female dancer, not only ballet; a ballet dancer is a ballerina classica. Male: ballerino. | dancer (female) | Mia figlia vuole fare la ballerina. My daughter wants to be a dancer. | |
| 40 | studio Also the act of studying. Studio legale = law firm, studio medico = doctor's surgery. | study; studio; office, practice | Lo studio del dentista è al secondo piano. The dentist's practice is on the second floor. | |
| 41 | graffito English uses the plural graffiti as a mass noun; in Italian a single one is un graffito. From graffiare, to scratch. | graffito, piece of graffiti | C'è un graffito nuovo sul muro della scuola. There's a new piece of graffiti on the school wall. | |
| 42 | paparazzo From the name of a photographer character in Fellini's La dolce vita. Plural paparazzi. | paparazzo, celebrity photographer | Un paparazzo lo ha fotografato all'aeroporto. A paparazzo photographed him at the airport. | |
| 43 | fiasco Originally the bulbous Chianti bottle. Fare fiasco = to flop, said of shows, parties and plans. | flop, failure; straw-covered flask | La serata è stata un fiasco. The evening was a fiasco. | |
| 44 | casino Very common but informal, and mildly crude in origin (it meant brothel). The gambling house is casinò, stressed on the final o. | mess, chaos; racket; brothel | Che casino qui dentro! What a mess in here! | |
| 45 | confetti False friend: the paper kind thrown at carnival is coriandoli. Singular un confetto. | sugared almonds | Ai matrimoni si regalano i confetti. At weddings they give out sugared almonds. | |
| 46 | scenario Used for stage sets and landscapes as well as for hypothetical situations. | scenery, setting; scenario | Dobbiamo considerare anche lo scenario peggiore. We also have to consider the worst-case scenario. | |
| 47 | vendetta The ordinary word for revenge in Italian, used for anything from a football rematch upwards; English narrowed it to blood feuds. | revenge | Ha giurato vendetta. He swore revenge. | |
| 48 | influenza Both senses are alive: the illness was once blamed on the influence of the stars. | flu; influence | Ho preso l'influenza. I've caught the flu. | |
| 49 | quarantena From quaranta, forty: the forty days ships had to wait before landing in Venice. | quarantine | Sono rimasti in quarantena per due settimane. They stayed in quarantine for two weeks. | |
| 50 | gondola Only the Venetian boat. A cable-car cabin is una cabina, never a gondola. | gondola (Venetian boat) | Un giro in gondola costa parecchio. A gondola ride costs quite a lot. |
Giulia Ferrante
Native Italian · Speaks English, French
From Bologna, where the food vocabulary alone could fill a deck. I teach Italian to travellers and expats and build decks around the situations they land in first.
Published
Questions about this deck
- Why does ordering "a latte" in Italy get you a glass of milk?
- Because latte simply means milk. The coffee drink English calls a latte is un latte macchiato, milk "stained" with coffee; at home the version with coffee and hot milk is caffellatte. If you say "un latte, per favore" in a bar, the barista will pour you plain milk, hot or cold.
- Are panini, biscotti, graffiti and paparazzi singular or plural?
- All four are Italian plurals. The singulars are panino, biscotto, graffito and paparazzo, so one sandwich is un panino and one cookie is un biscotto. English absorbed the plural forms and now treats them as singular, which is why "a panini" sounds odd to Italian ears.
- What do Italians call pepperoni pizza?
- Pizza al salame piccante, or more often pizza diavola, which comes with spicy salami. Peperoni in Italian means sweet bell peppers, so pizza ai peperoni gets you a vegetable pizza. Chilli pepper is a third word, peperoncino, easy to mix up with the other two.
- What is the difference between casino and casinò?
- The stress. Casino, stressed on the -si-, means a mess, chaos or a loud racket; it comes from an old word for brothel, so it stays informal and mildly crude. Casinò, with the accent on the final o, is the gambling house, a word that came back into Italian from French.
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