colazione, pranzo e cena
/ko.latˈt͡sjo.ne ˈpran.d͡zo ˈe ˈt͡ʃe.na/word by word
Breakfast, lunch and dinner in Italian is colazione, pranzo e cena.
Use this phrase to talk about the three main meals of the day together, for example when a hotel price includes all meals.
What does it mean word for word?
colazione means breakfast, pranzo means lunch, cena means dinner and e means and.
How does it change in a sentence?
To say you eat breakfast, use fare colazione. For lunch and dinner Italians usually use the verbs pranzare and cenare.
How do you pronounce it?
The whole phrase has nine syllables. The z in pranzo sounds like dz, the double z in colazione sounds like ts and the c in cena sounds like the ch in church.
Did you know?
- The word colazione comes from the Latin word for 'meeting'. Historically, it referred to the meal eaten by monks after their evening gathering.
- The verb pranzare is so central to Italian culture that the meal of pranzo is traditionally the most important and substantial meal of the day.
- In Italy, colazione is typically a sweet affair involving coffee and pastries, unlike the savory breakfasts common in many English-speaking countries.
Examples in context
- Mi preparo la colazioneI'm preparing myself breakfast.
- Vorrei pranzare qua, per favoreI would like to have lunch here, please.
- Una pizza per pranzoA pizza for lunch.
- Mangio bene a colazione, pranzo e cena.I eat well at breakfast, lunch, and dinner.
- La routine prevede colazione, pranzo e cena.The routine includes breakfast, lunch, and dinner.
Example conversation
Matteo and Martina are planning their daily food budget.
- MatteoCosa includiamo per colazione, pranzo e cena?What should we include for breakfast, lunch, and dinner?
- MartinaPossiamo comprare pane e formaggio per tutto.We can buy bread and cheese for everything.
- MatteoÈ troppo semplice per colazione, pranzo e cena.That is too simple for breakfast, lunch, and dinner.
- MartinaAllora aggiungiamo anche della frutta fresca, Matteo.Then let's add some fresh fruit too, Matteo.
