cena
/ˈt͡ʃe.na/feminine
The Italian word for dinner is cena.
cena is a feminine noun used to refer to the evening meal. While you can say preparare la cena to mean cooking the meal, it is very common to use the phrase fare la cena to mean preparing or making dinner.
Meaning: evening meal (noun)
Which one should you use?
The diminutive form cenetta can be used specifically to describe a small or light dinner.
How does it change in a sentence?
The noun cena is closely related to the verb cenare, which means to eat dinner.
How do you pronounce it?
The word has two syllables, with the stress on the first syllable: /ˈtʃe.na/.
Did you know?
- The word cena shares a distant root with the English word 'shard' and the verb 'shear', because it originally referred to a 'portion' or a piece of something cut out.
- In Italy, cena usually happens much later than in English speaking countries, often starting between 8 pm and 10 pm.
- When using the diminutive cenetta, you might not just be describing the size of the meal, but also a sense of intimacy or a casual, relaxed atmosphere.
Examples in context
- A che ora cena?What time do you eat dinner?This sentence is useful for asking about the time one eats dinner using cena.Tatoeba #2336965 by Guybrush88, translation #1696819 by Amastan
- La cena è pronta.Dinner is ready.This sentence is useful for stating that the dinner is ready using cena.Tatoeba #380183 by Pharamp, translation #39682 by CK
- Che c'è per cena?What's for dinner?This sentence is useful for asking what is being served for dinner using cena.Tatoeba #2252441 by Guybrush88, translation #687456 by lukaszpp
- Abbiamo una cena di gala stasera.We have a gala dinner tonight.
- 1286 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Giulia and Lorenzo are planning their evening at home.
- GiuliaA che ora è la cena stasera?What time is dinner tonight?
- LorenzoIo preparo la cena per le otto.I will prepare dinner for eight o'clock.
- GiuliaPerfetto, così abbiamo tempo di rilassarci.Perfect, that way we have time to relax.
- LorenzoSì, la cena sarà pronta in tempo.Yes, dinner will be ready in time.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “dinner” translations and entries cena, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries cena, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
