colazione
/ko.latˈt͡sjo.ne/feminine
The English word "breakfast" is translated into Italian as colazione. Wiktionary also lists prima colazione.
Meaning: first meal of the day (noun)
Ways to say it
| Italian | IPA | Note |
|---|---|---|
| colazione | /ko.latˈt͡sjo.ne/ | feminine |
| prima colazione | /ˈpri.ma ko.latˈt͡sjo.ne/ (word by word) | feminine |
The term refers to the first meal of the day. While colazione is the standard noun, you will often see it used within the verbal phrase fare colazione to express the act of having breakfast.
Which one should you use?
colazione is the standard term for breakfast. The phrase prima colazione is an alternative way to specify the morning meal.
Related words
How does it change in a sentence?
Both colazione and prima colazione are feminine nouns. To express the action of eating breakfast, use the verb phrase fare colazione.
How do you pronounce it?
The word has 4 syllables, with the stress on the 3rd syllable: /ko.latˈtsjo.ne/.
What mistakes should you avoid?
English speakers often mistakenly say mangiare la colazione to mean "to eat breakfast," but a native speaker will almost always use fare colazione.
Did you know?
- The word colazione shares an unexpected history with the concept of a meeting or an assembly. It originates from the Latin word for 'putting together', which originally referred to a meal eaten by monks following their evening meeting.
- In many parts of Italy, the typical colazione is unexpectedly sweet rather than savory. While an English speaker might expect eggs or toast, a standard Italian breakfast often consists of pastries, biscuits, or a sweetened yogurt paired with a cappuccino.
- In Italy, it is culturally uncommon to order a cappuccino as part of a colazione after 11:00 AM.
Examples in context
- Fa colazione a casa?Do you have breakfast at home?This sentence is useful for asking if someone has breakfast at home using the form colazione.Tatoeba #470143 by Guybrush88, translation #470142 by FeuDRenais
- Fai colazione a casa?Do you eat breakfast at home?This sentence is useful for asking if someone eats breakfast at home using the form colazione.Tatoeba #470141 by Guybrush88, translation #5001142 by AlanF_US
- Tom non fa colazione.Tom doesn't eat breakfast.This sentence is useful for stating that someone does not eat breakfast using the form colazione.Tatoeba #2622264 by Guybrush88, translation #1094531 by CK
- Che cosa prendi per la prima colazione?What do you have for breakfast?
- Cosa mangi la mattina?What do you eat in the morning?
- 951 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Matteo and Sofia are in a kitchen in the morning.
- MatteoSofia, vuoi fare colazione?Sofia, do you want to have breakfast?
- SofiaSì, grazie Matteo, ho molta fame.Yes, thanks Matteo, I am very hungry.
- MatteoC'è del caffè e dei biscotti.There is coffee and some biscuits.
- SofiaPerfetto, adoro la colazione con il caffè.Perfect, I love breakfast with coffee.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “breakfast” translations and entries colazione, prima colazione, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- IPA marked “word by word” joins the Wiktionary pronunciations of each word (prima, colazione) and can differ in connected speech.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries colazione, prima, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
