diabete
/di.aˈbɛ.te/masculine
The Italian word for diabetes is diabete.
diabete is a masculine noun used to refer to the group of metabolic diseases known as diabetes.
Meaning: A group of metabolic diseases (noun)
Which one should you use?
While diabete is the standard term, more specific medical forms exist: Diabete Mellito refers to mellitus diabetes, while Diabete di Tipo 1 and Diabete di Tipo 2 are used to specify Type 1 and Type 2 diabetes respectively.
How does it change in a sentence?
In Italian, medical conditions such as diabetes are typically preceded by a definite article, appearing as il diabete.
How do you pronounce it?
The word has 4 syllables, with the stress on the 3rd syllable: /di.aˈbɛ.te/.
What mistakes should you avoid?
English speakers often mistakenly add an 's' to the end of the word. However, the Italian word diabete is always singular.
Did you know?
- The term diabete mellito comes from the Latin word mel, meaning 'honey'. This refers to the sweetness of the urine, a primary diagnostic method before modern testing.
- The word diabete shares its root with the Greek word diabainein, which means 'to pass through'. This refers to the excessive urination that characterizes the condition.
- When discussing diet and diabete, Italians often talk about indice glicemico or glycemic index. This is a central part of the cultural conversation around food and health in Italy.
Examples in context
- Tom ha il diabete.Tom has diabetes.This sentence shows how to state that someone has diabete.Tatoeba #6770758 by Guybrush88, translation #6736107 by Hybrid
- Devo avere il diabete.I must have diabetes.This sentence demonstrates expressing the necessity of having diabete.Tatoeba #5166630 by Guybrush88, translation #5166590 by CK
- Mia madre ha il diabete di tipo 2.My mother has type 2 diabetes.This sentence illustrates how to specify type 2 diabete.Tatoeba #10912544 by Guybrush88, translation #10911422 by CM
- Ho il diabeteI have diabetes
- Mia figlia ha il diabete di tipo 1My daughter has Type 1 diabetes
- Mio padre ha il diabete di tipo 2My father has Type 2 diabetes
- Ho lo zucchero altoI have high sugar
- Mi devo controllare lo zuccheroI need to check my sugar
- Ho bisogno di informazioni sul diabete.I need information about diabetes.
- Soffro di diabete mellito da molti anni.I have been suffering from mellitus diabetes for many years.
- Mio nonno ha il diabete di tipo 2.My grandfather has Type 2 diabetes.
- 7 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Francesco and Giulia are discussing health at a cafe.
- FrancescoGiulia, hai letto dell'ultimo studio sul diabete?Giulia, did you read the latest study on diabetes?
- GiuliaSì, Francesco, è molto interessante.Yes, Francesco, it is very interesting.
- FrancescoPensavo che il diabete fosse più difficile da gestire.I thought diabetes was harder to manage.
- GiuliaIn realtà, ci sono molte nuove opzioni.Actually, there are many new options.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “diabetes” translations and entries diabete, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
