latte materno
masculine
The English phrase "breast milk" is translated into Italian as latte materno.
latte materno refers to milk produced by humans.
Meaning: milk produced by humans (noun)
What does it mean word for word?
The phrase is composed of latte (milk) and materno (maternal/motherly).
Which one should you use?
Use latte materno to specify human breast milk, whereas latte vaccino would refer to cow's milk.
How does it change in a sentence?
The noun latte is masculine, so the adjective materno must also be in its masculine singular form.
Did you know?
- The word latte is a 'false friend' for English speakers who order a 'latte' at a coffee shop. In Italy, ordering un latte will get you a glass of plain milk, not a coffee drink.
- The Milky Way galaxy is called la Via Lattea in Italian. This name directly utilizes the word latte to describe the appearance of the stars.
- The word latte is used for both the liquid and the color white in some contexts, though bianco is standard. In some Italian dialects, referring to something as latte describes a milky, opaque white hue.
Examples in context
- Il virus può diffondersi attraverso il latte materno?Can the virus spread through breast milk?This sentence is useful for discussing whether a virus can spread through latte materno.Tatoeba #13323245 by Guybrush88, translation #11785064 by Amastan
- Ho bisogno di comprare una pompa per il latte materno.I need to buy a breast pump.
- Il latte di mamma è il miglior alimento per il neonato.Mom's milk is the best food for the newborn.
- Il latte materno è molto nutriente.Breast milk is very nutritious.
- Alcuni neonati preferiscono il latte materno.Some newborns prefer breast milk.
- 1 more sentence on Tatoeba
Example conversation
A couple discussing baby feeding options.
- MatteoGiulia, preferisci usare il latte materno?Giulia, do you prefer to use breast milk?
- GiuliaSì, penso sia la scelta più naturale.Yes, I think it is the most natural choice.
- MatteoHai bisogno di un estrattore per il latte materno?Do you need a pump for the breast milk?
- GiuliaSì, Matteo, sarebbe molto utile.Yes, Matteo, that would be very useful.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “breast milk” translations and entries latte materno, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
