mangiare
/manˈd͡ʒa.re/
The Italian verb for "eat" is mangiare, the standard everyday word for eating a meal or any food. If unsure, use mangiare. Wiktionary also lists mettere sotto i denti.
Meaning: eat a meal (verb)
Ways to say it
| Italian | IPA |
|---|---|
| mangiare | /manˈd͡ʒa.re/ |
| mettere sotto i denti |
Use mangiare for eating in general, whether a snack or a full meal. For specific meals Italians often use phrases with "fare", as in Fare colazione/pranzo/cena (to have breakfast, lunch or dinner).
Which one should you use?
mangiare is the general verb. mettere sotto i denti is a casual idiom, literally "put under the teeth", meaning to get something to eat or have a bite. Consumare is a more formal alternative used for consuming food, often in written or official language.
How does it change in a sentence?
mangiare is a regular verb. "I eat" is mangio and "we eat" is mangiamo. To tell one person informally to eat, say Mangia.
How do you pronounce it?
The IPA is /manˈdʒa.re/. It has three syllables with the stress on the second, and the gi sounds like the j in English "jam".
Did you know?
- The Italian verb mangiare is actually a 'borrowed' word from Old French, specifically from the word 'mangier'.
- In Italy, the concept of eating is so central that mangiare is often used as a social invitation. To ask someone to 'eat' is frequently an invitation to spend hours socializing, not just to consume calories.
Examples in context
- È ora di mangiare.It's time to eat.È ora di mangiare is a handy way to say "It's time to eat".Tatoeba #1969670 by Guybrush88, translation #954096 by CK
- Io sto per mangiare.I'm about to eat.Io sto per mangiare uses the infinitive after sto per to say "I'm about to eat".Tatoeba #3665190 by Guybrush88, translation #3665189 by CK
- Tom uscì a mangiare.Tom went out to eat.Tom uscì a mangiare means "Tom went out to eat".Tatoeba #3922097 by Guybrush88, translation #3922007 by CK
- Vorrei mangiare una pizza, per favore.I would like to eat a pizza, please.
- Dobbiamo consumare la cena entro le 8.We must eat dinner by 8 o'clock.
- Mangia la pasta, è buonissima!Eat the pasta, it's delicious!
- Stasera facciamo cena insieme?Shall we have dinner together tonight?
- 2184 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
A couple is deciding what to do for dinner.
- FrancescoMartina, che cosa vuoi mangiare?Martina, what do you want to eat?
- MartinaVorrei mangiare un piatto di pasta.I would like to eat a plate of pasta.
- FrancescoVa bene, allora mangiamo in quel ristorante.Fine, then let's eat at that restaurant.
- MartinaOttima idea, Francesco.Great idea, Francesco.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “eat” translations and entries mangiare, mettere sotto i denti, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries mangiare, mettere, mettere sotto i denti, sotto, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
