pane
/ˈpa.ne/masculine
The English word "bread" is translated into Italian as pane.
Pane is a masculine noun used to describe baked dough made from cereals. You can use it to describe the substance or the loaf itself. Common descriptors include pane fragrante for fragrant bread and pane fresco for fresh bread. If you are referring to a person who makes bread, the term is panificatore.
Meaning: baked dough made from cereals (noun)
Which one should you use?
While pane refers to the substance or the loaf, the word panino is used specifically to refer to a bread roll or a sandwich. Additionally, if you want to express the action of breading something, you can use the verbs impanare or panare.
Is it said differently in some regions?
In Milan, the specific term Michetta is commonly used to refer to a particular kind of bread roll.
Related words
How does it change in a sentence?
When you want to refer to an unspecified amount of bread, use the partitive article del (as in del pane) instead of the indefinite article.
How do you pronounce it?
/ˈpa.ne/. The word has 2 syllables and the stress is on the 1st of 2 syllables.
Did you know?
- The word pane is an ancestor of the English word 'companion'. The Latin root means 'with bread', referring to a person with whom you share your daily bread.
- In Italy, it is considered quite rude to place a loaf of bread upside down on the table, as it is traditionally seen as a sign of bad luck or an insult to the food.
- Traditional Italian pane is often unsalted, especially in regions like Tuscany. This was historically done to avoid high salt taxes and to better complement the salty flavors of local cured meats.
Examples in context
- Io ho il pane.I have bread.This sentence is useful for expressing possession of the word pane.Tatoeba #6571544 by Guybrush88, translation #3648944 by Jesse
- Il pane è qui.The bread is here.This sentence is useful for indicating the location of the word pane.Tatoeba #12479558 by Guybrush88, translation #12456149 by Miktsoanit
- È il tuo pane.That is your bread.This sentence is useful for identifying something as belonging to someone using the word pane.Tatoeba #13153646 by Guybrush88, translation #13119483 by Vortarulo
- Il profumo del pane fragrante è irresistibile.The scent of fragrant bread is irresistible.
- Preferisco sempre il pane fresco al pane confezionato.I always prefer fresh bread over packaged bread.
- Vorrei un pezzo di pane, per favore.I would like a piece of bread, please.
- 1338 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Lorenzo and Martina are at a local bakery.
- LorenzoVorrei un pezzo di pane fresco.I would like a piece of fresh bread.
- MartinaVuoi anche del pane integrale?Do you also want some whole wheat bread?
- LorenzoSì, prendiamo anche quello.Yes, let's take that too.
- MartinaOttima scelta, Lorenzo.Great choice, Lorenzo.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “bread” translations and entries pane, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
