burro
/ˈbur.ro/masculine
The Italian word for butter is burro. Wiktionary also lists butirro.
Meaning: soft foodstuff made from milk (noun)
Ways to say it
| Italian | IPA | Note |
|---|---|---|
| burro | /ˈbur.ro/ | masculine |
| butirro | /buˈtir.ro/ | masculine, obsolete |
The word refers to the soft foodstuff made from milk. You can specify salted butter by saying burro salato. If you want to describe the action of spreading butter on something, use the verb imburrare.
Which one should you use?
burro is the standard modern form used in contemporary Italian. The form butirro is obsolete and no longer used.
Related words
How does it change in a sentence?
As a masculine noun, burro is typically used with the masculine definite article il, forming il burro.
How do you pronounce it?
The word has two syllables with the stress on the first syllable: /ˈbur.ro/.
Did you know?
- While burro is the food, the word burro in Spanish refers to a donkey, which can lead to humorous misunderstandings for travelers in Mediterranean Europe.
- Historically, Italian cuisine is divided by a 'butter line', where Northern regions traditionally used burro and Southern regions used olive oil.
- The modern Italian word burro is actually a linguistic traveler that arrived via Old French rather than coming directly from Latin.
Examples in context
- Le passò il burro.He passed the butter to her.This sentence shows how to use burro when passing the food to someone.Tatoeba #9947599 by Guybrush88, translation #8519295 by CH
- Ci piace il burro.We like butter.This sentence demonstrates expressing a preference for burro.Tatoeba #13942824 by Guybrush88, translation #10271910 by SabukHitam
- Mi serve più burro.I need more butter.This sentence shows how to request more burro.Tatoeba #2565720 by Guybrush88, translation #2387497 by CK
- Vorrei del burro, per favore.I would like some butter, please.
- Mi servirebbe un po' di burro morbido.I would need some soft butter.
- 205 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Lorenzo and Martina are preparing breakfast in their kitchen.
- LorenzoHai comprato il burro?Did you buy the butter?
- MartinaSì, è nel frigorifero.Yes, it is in the fridge.
- LorenzoOttimo, lo uso per il pane.Great, I'll use it for the bread.
- MartinaVa bene, Lorenzo.Okay, Lorenzo.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “butter” translations and entries burro, butirro, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries burro, butirro, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
