cuocere (al forno)
/ˈkwɔ.t͡ʃe.re al ˈfor.no/word by word
The English verb 'bake' is translated into Italian as cuocere (al forno). Wiktionary also lists infornare.
Meaning: to cook in an oven (verb)
Ways to say it
| Italian | IPA |
|---|---|
| cuocere (al forno) | /ˈkwɔ.t͡ʃe.re al ˈfor.no/ (word by word) |
| infornare | /in.forˈna.re/ |
To express the action of baking food, the most common way is to use the phrase cuocere in forno.
Which one should you use?
While cuocere is the general verb for 'to cook', it is often used with al forno to specify that the cooking is happening in an oven.
How do you pronounce it?
The pronunciation is /ˈkwɔ.tʃe.re al ˈfor.no/. It has 5 syllables, and the stress is on the 1st syllable.
Did you know?
- While cuocere means 'to cook', it is also used as a slang term for being exhausted or 'burnt out', as in sono cotto.
- The root of cuocere is found in the English word 'concoct', both originating from the idea of 'cooking together'.
- If you want to say you are 'putting the bread in the oven' to start baking, Italians often use the specific verb infornare.
Examples in context
- Ho cucinato al fornoI baked
- Ho cucinato al forno un delizioso pollo arrosto.I baked a delicious roasted chicken.
- Hai mai cucinato la pizza cuocendola al forno di pietra?Have you ever baked pizza in a stone oven?
- Ho appena infornato dei deliziosi muffin per la colazione.I just put some delicious muffins in the oven for breakfast.
- Inforna la pizza per circa 15 minuti.Put the pizza in the oven for about 15 minutes.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “bake” translations and entries infornare, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- IPA marked “word by word” joins the Wiktionary pronunciations of each word (cuocere, al, forno) and can differ in connected speech.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries cuocere, infornare, CC BY-SA 4.0.
