cioccolato fondente
/t͡ʃok.koˈla.to fonˈdɛn.te/
The English phrase 'dark chocolate' is translated into Italian as cioccolato fondente.
Use cioccolato fondente to refer to dark chocolate.
What does it mean word for word?
The adjective fondente literally means 'melting' or 'that which melts'.
Which one should you use?
While English uses the color 'dark' to describe the chocolate, Italian uses the adjective fondente (melting) to denote the high cocoa content characteristic of dark chocolate. To contrast with dark chocolate, milk chocolate is called cioccolato al latte.
How do you pronounce it?
The pronunciation is /tʃok.koˈla.to fonˈdɛn.te/. It has 6 syllables, with the stress on the 3rd syllable.
Did you know?
- The word cioccolato reveals a global journey, originating from the Nahuatl word chocolātl used by the Aztecs before reaching Europe via Spanish.
- While fondente refers to the melting quality, Italians use the term cioccolato amaro specifically when they want to emphasize that the chocolate is 'bitter'.
- Italian distinguishes between cioccolato fondente and cioccolato nero, with the latter being a more literal translation of 'black chocolate' and less common in shops.
Examples in context
- Vorrei un pezzo di cioccolato fondente, per favore.I would like a piece of dark chocolate, please.
- Potrebbe consigliarmi un prodotto a base di cioccolato nero?Could you recommend a product made with dark chocolate?
- Vuoi un pezzo di cioccolato amaro?Do you want a piece of dark chocolate?
- Mi piace il cioccolato fondente, è più gustoso.I like dark chocolate, it's tastier.
- Mi piace molto il cioccolato fondente.I really like dark chocolate.
- Preferisci il cioccolato fondente o quello al latte?Do you prefer dark chocolate or milk chocolate?
- Ho comprato del cioccolato fondente per il dessert.I bought some dark chocolate for dessert.
Example conversation
Chiara and Alessandro are at a grocery store.
- ChiaraAlessandro, prendiamo del cioccolato fondente?Alessandro, shall we get some dark chocolate?
- AlessandroSì, va bene, mi piace molto.Yes, that's fine, I like it a lot.
- ChiaraVuoi anche delle nocciole?Do you want some hazelnuts too?
- AlessandroNo grazie, solo il cioccolato.No thanks, just the chocolate.
Sources
- Pronunciation: Wiktionary entry cioccolato fondente, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries cioccolato, CC BY-SA 4.0.
