tagliare
/taʎˈʎa.re/
The English phrase "cut up" can be translated into Italian as tagliare.
tagliare is the most common and versatile word for "cutting" in Italian. Depending on how you are cutting something, other verbs may be more precise: use affettare to specifically refer to slicing something into thin pieces, sminuzzare to describe cutting something into small, irregular pieces or spezzettare to express the idea of breaking something into small, irregular pieces rather than neatly slicing.
Meaning: to cut into smaller pieces (verb)
How does it change in a sentence?
While tagliare means "to cut", adding the phrase a pezzi is a common way to specify the action of cutting something up into smaller parts, forming the expression tagliare a pezzi.
How do you pronounce it?
tagliare is pronounced /taʎˈʎa.re/. It has three syllables, with the stress on the second syllable.
Did you know?
- When an Italian speaker says tagliare i ponti, they are not cutting bridges physically but are 'burning bridges' to end a relationship.
- The word tagliare shares its Latin root with the English word 'tallia' or 'tally', which originally referred to a notch or cut made on a stick for counting.
- While tagliare means to cut, the phrase tagliare corto is used to tell someone to 'cut to the chase' or keep a story brief.
Examples in context
- Vorrei tagliare la torta a fette sottili.I would like to cut the cake into thin slices.
- Mia madre affetta le cipolle molto sottili per le sue ricette.My mother slices the onions very thin for her recipes.
- Ho sminuzzato l'aglio prima di metterlo nella pentola.I chopped the garlic up before putting it in the pot.
- Ho spezzettato il cioccolato per preparare i biscotti.I broke up the chocolate to make cookies.
- Taglia il pane a pezzi.Cut the bread into pieces.
- Devi tagliare la cipolla a pezzetti.You need to cut up the onion into small pieces.
- Puoi tagliare la torta in fette sottili?Can you cut up the cake into thin slices?
- Aiuto mio padre a tagliare la verdura.I help my father cut up the vegetables.
Example conversation
Alessandro and Sofia are preparing a salad in the kitchen.
- AlessandroSofia, puoi tagliare il pomodoro per l'insalata?Sofia, can you cut up the tomato for the salad?
- SofiaCerto, lo taglio a cubetti piccoli?Sure, should I cut it up into small cubes?
- AlessandroSì, grazie mille per l'aiuto.Yes, thanks a lot for the help.
- SofiaDi nulla, Alessandro.You're welcome, Alessandro.
Sources
- Pronunciation: Wiktionary entry tagliare, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries tagliare, CC BY-SA 4.0.
