celiachia
/t͡ʃe.ljaˈki.a/feminine
The English phrase 'coeliac disease' is translated into Italian as celiachia.
celiachia refers to the auto-immune disease characterised by sensitivity of the lining of the small intestine to gluten.
Meaning: auto-immune disease characterised by sensitivity of the lining of the small intestine to gluten (noun)
Which one should you use?
You may also encounter the more formal versions malattia celiaca and enteropatia da glutine.
How does it change in a sentence?
The word celiachia is a feminine noun.
How do you pronounce it?
The word has 4 syllables, with the stress on the 3rd syllable: /tʃe.ljaˈki.a/.
Did you know?
- Italy has some of the most generous laws in the world for people with celiachia, providing monthly government vouchers to buy certified gluten-free food.
- The word celiachia shares a root with the Greek word koiliakos, meaning 'abdominal'. This reflects how the disease was identified by its physical location in the body before gluten was known.
- While celiachia is the noun for the disease, Italians often use the word celiaco as an adjective. Saying sono celiaco is the standard way to inform a waiter of your condition, whereas in English one usually says 'I have coeliac disease'.
Examples in context
- Il medico ha diagnosticato la malattia celiaca al paziente.The doctor diagnosed the patient with coeliac disease.
- La biopsia ha confermato l'enteropatia da glutine nel paziente.The biopsy confirmed gluten enteropathy in the patient.
- Mio fratello ha la celiachia da quando era bambino.My brother has had coeliac disease since he was a child.
- Sono stato recentemente diagnosticato con l'intolleranza al glutine.I was recently diagnosed with gluten intolerance.
- Sono celiaco/celiaca. Ho l'intolleranza al glutine.I am coeliac. I have gluten intolerance.
- Dove posso trovare un gruppo di sostegno per la malattia celiaca?Where can I find a support group for coeliac disease?
- La celiachia è una malattia autoimmune.Coeliac disease is an autoimmune disease.
- Deve fare attenzione perché ha la celiachia.He has to be careful because he has coeliac disease.
- Esistono molti prodotti per chi soffre di celiachia.There are many products for those who suffer from coeliac disease.
Example conversation
Alessandro and Sofia are deciding what to eat for dinner.
- AlessandroPossiamo ordinare una pizza?Can we order a pizza?
- SofiaSì, ma serve l'impasto senza glutine per la mia celiachia.Yes, but I need gluten-free dough for my coeliac disease.
- AlessandroCerto, Sofia, cerco un posto che lo faccia.Of course, Sofia, I'll look for a place that makes it.
- SofiaGrazie mille, Alessandro!Thank you so much, Alessandro!
Sources
- Wiktionary, “coeliac disease” translations and entries celiachia, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
