coltello da formaggio
/kolˈtɛl.lo da forˈmad.d͡ʒo/word by wordmasculine
The English phrase "cheese knife" is coltello da formaggio in Italian.
coltello da formaggio is a masculine noun used to describe a knife specifically intended for cutting cheese.
Meaning: knife for cutting cheese (noun)
What does it mean word for word?
The phrase is composed of coltello (knife) and da formaggio (for cheese).
How does it change in a sentence?
To form the plural, only the noun changes: coltelli da formaggio means "cheese knives". When selecting your preposition, use da to denote the purpose of the tool. Using del instead, as in coltello del formaggio, would change the meaning to "knife of the cheese," implying the knife belongs to a specific piece of cheese.
How do you pronounce it?
The word is pronounced /kolˈtɛl.lo da forˈmad.dʒo/. It has 5 syllables, and the stress is on the second syllable.
Did you know?
- The Italian word for cheese, formaggio, is linguistically linked to the English word 'form' because both trace back to the Latin 'forma', meaning 'mold'.
- In Italian, the preposition da is used for almost all tools designed for a specific purpose. You will see this same pattern in occhiali da sole for 'sunglasses' and scarpe da tennis for 'tennis shoes'.
Examples in context
- Dove è il coltello da formaggio?Where is the cheese knife?
- Ho comprato un nuovo coltello da formaggio.I bought a new cheese knife.
- Usa questo coltello da formaggio per il brie.Use this cheese knife for the brie.
Example conversation
Sofia and Lorenzo are preparing a snack in the kitchen.
- SofiaLorenzo, mi passi il coltello da formaggio?Lorenzo, can you pass me the cheese knife?
- LorenzoCertamente, eccolo qui.Certainly, here it is.
- SofiaGrazie, è molto affilato.Thanks, it is very sharp.
- LorenzoSì, è perfetto per questo tagliere.Yes, it is perfect for this cutting board.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “cheese knife” translations and entries coltello da formaggio, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- IPA marked “word by word” joins the Wiktionary pronunciations of each word (coltello, da, formaggio) and can differ in connected speech.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries coltello, da, formaggio, CC BY-SA 4.0.
