tagliare
/taʎˈʎa.re/
The English verb 'cut' is translated into Italian as tagliare. Wiktionary also lists incidere.
Meaning: to divide with a sharp instrument (verb)
Ways to say it
| Italian | IPA |
|---|---|
| tagliare | /taʎˈʎa.re/ |
| incidere | /inˈt͡ʃi.de.re/ |
The general meaning of these words is to divide something using a sharp instrument.
Which one should you use?
Use tagliare for general actions like cutting paper, hair or food. In contrast, use incidere when the action is more precise or shallow, such as engraving or making an incision. To describe cutting or severing something abruptly, use troncare.
Related words
How does it change in a sentence?
The verb tagliare is a regular second-conjugation verb ending in -are.
How do you pronounce it?
The word is pronounced /taʎˈʎa.re/. It has three syllables, and the stress is on the second syllable.
Did you know?
- In Italian, the phrase tagliare la testa al toro literally means 'to cut the head off the bull', but it is used to mean 'to decide once and for all'.
- The verb tagliare shares a hidden history with the word 'tally'. Both come from the same root describing the act of making a notch or a cut on a stick to keep count.
- In a culinary context, tagliare is used for 'cutting' the richness of a dish by adding an acidic ingredient like lemon.
Examples in context
- Non tagliare la fila.Don't cut in line.This sentence is useful for using tagliare in the context of not cutting in a line.Tatoeba #8691970 by Guybrush88, translation #21241 by CM
- Ziri sa dove tagliare.Ziri knows where to cut.This sentence is useful for using tagliare to indicate knowing where to cut.Tatoeba #13912843 by unforgiven95, translation #10861209 by Amastan
- Non ti tagliare il dito.Don't cut your finger.This sentence is useful for using tagliare to warn against cutting a finger.Tatoeba #5055700 by Guybrush88, translation #246248 by CK
- Posso tagliare la torta?May I cut the cake?
- Il dottore ha effettuato un'incisione per rimuovere l'appendiceThe doctor made an incision to remove the appendix
- Il supervisore ha troncato la conversazioneThe supervisor cut the conversation short
- Mi piace tagliuzzare le verdure per la minestraI like to cut up vegetables for soup
- Mi aiuti a sforbiciare la carta?Can you help me cut the paper with scissors?
- È importante tagliare il pane con un coltello affilato.It is important to cut the bread with a sharp knife.
- 60 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Matteo and Sofia are in the kitchen preparing dinner.
- MatteoDevo tagliare il pane per la cena.I need to cut the bread for dinner.
- SofiaUsa questo coltello per tagliare, Matteo.Use this knife to cut, Matteo.
- MatteoÈ troppo duro da tagliare.It is too hard to cut.
- SofiaAllora lascia tagliare me.Then let me do the cutting.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “cut” translations and entries tagliare, incidere, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries incidere, tagliare, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
