acciuga
/atˈt͡ʃu.ɡa/feminine
The Italian word for anchovy is acciuga. Wiktionary also lists alice.
Meaning: small saltwater fish (noun)
Ways to say it
| Italian | IPA | Note |
|---|---|---|
| acciuga | /atˈt͡ʃu.ɡa/ | feminine |
| alice | /aˈli.t͡ʃe/ /ˈa.li.t͡ʃe/ |
feminine |
The terms refer to a small saltwater fish.
Which one should you use?
The term alice is often used in Northern Italy, whereas acciuga is more common in Central and Southern Italy.
Is it said differently in some regions?
In Northern Italy, you will more frequently hear alice. In Central and Southern Italy, acciuga is the more common term. In Southern Italy, specifically in the Campania region, the slang term bianchetti is used to refer to very young anchovies.
How does it change in a sentence?
Both alice and acciuga are feminine nouns. The plural of acciuga is acciughe (as in le acciughe), while the plural of alice remains alice (as in le alice).
How do you pronounce it?
/atˈtʃu.ɡa/. The word has 3 syllables, and the stress is on the 2nd syllable.
Did you know?
- In Italy, alice typically refers to the fresh fish, while acciuga often refers to the fish after it has been salted and preserved.
- The word alice is derived from the Latin word allēc, which referred to a fermented fish sauce rather than the fish itself.
- In certain Italian coastal regions, the term bianchetti is used for larval anchovies, which are eaten whole and fried as a delicacy.
Examples in context
- Vorrei una pizza con acciughe.I would like a pizza with anchovies.
- L'acciuga è molto saporita.The anchovy is very flavorful.
- Preferisco l'acciuga fresca.I prefer fresh anchovy.
Example conversation
Sofia and Francesco are ordering food at a restaurant.
- SofiaVuoi l'acciuga nella tua insalata?Do you want the anchovy in your salad?
- FrancescoNo, non mi piace l'acciuga.No, I don't like the anchovy.
- SofiaAllora prendiamo solo i pomodori.Then let's just get tomatoes.
- FrancescoSì, è un'ottima idea, Sofia.Yes, that is a great idea, Sofia.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “anchovy” translations and entries acciuga, alice, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries acciuga, alice, CC BY-SA 4.0.
