scongelare
To defrost is scongelare in Italian.
scongelare is used when you want to thaw frozen food. It is also commonly used in the context of kitchen appliances, such as when you need to scongelare il frigorifero (to defrost the refrigerator).
Meaning: to thaw (verb)
What does it mean word for word?
The verb is composed of the prefix s- (meaning 'un-' or 'undo') and congelare (to freeze).
Which one should you use?
While scongelare is used for thawing frozen food, sciogliere is the more common verb used for melting ice or solids like sugar or butter.
How does it change in a sentence?
The past participle scongelato is used to describe food that has been defrosted.
Did you know?
- The root congelare is used in Italian financial slang to describe the 'freezing' of bank accounts or assets.
- While scongelare is for food, the verb sciogliere is used for the 'thawing' of a romantic tension or the 'melting' of a formal atmosphere during a meeting.
- If you use scongelare to describe sugar dissolving in coffee, an Italian speaker might imagine you are treating the sugar like a piece of frozen meat.
Examples in context
- Per favore, scongelate il pollo prima di cucinarlo.Please defrost the chicken before cooking it.
- Ti preghiamo di scongelare il pesce prima di cucinarlo.Please defrost the fish before cooking it.
- Devi scongelare la carne prima di cuocerla.You must defrost the meat before cooking it.
- Devo scongelare il pesce per cena.I need to defrost the fish for dinner.
- Quanto tempo serve per scongelare la carne?How long does it take to defrost the meat?
- È meglio scongelare il pane lentamente.It is better to defrost the bread slowly.
Example conversation
In a kitchen while preparing a meal.
- SofiaFrancesco, puoi scongelare il pollo?Francesco, can you defrost the chicken?
- FrancescoSì, lo metto subito in acqua.Yes, I will put it in water immediately.
- SofiaGrazie, così saremo pronti presto.Thank you, that way we will be ready soon.
- FrancescoNon preoccuparti, lo faccio subito.Don't worry, I'll do it right away.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “defrost” translations and entries scongelare, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
