mangiare
/manˈd͡ʒa.re/
To eat in Italian is 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 |
The primary way to express the act of eating a meal is with the verb mangiare.
Which one should you use?
While mangiare is the standard verb for eating, you may also encounter the idiomatic phrase mettere sotto i denti to describe the act of eating.
How does it change in a sentence?
In the present indicative tense, the verb mangiare conjugates as follows: mangio (I eat), mangi (you eat), mangia (he/she eats), mangiamo (we eat), mangiate (you plural eat) and mangiano (they eat).
How do you pronounce it?
The word has 3 syllables, with the stress on the 2nd syllable: /manˈdʒa.re/.
Did you know?
- While English speakers say they are 'eating' a meal, Italians often distinguish between mangiare and pranzare or cenare, which specifically mean to eat lunch or dinner.
- Italians use the word mangiare in the phrase mangia pure to politely encourage a guest to help themselves to food without waiting for a formal invitation.
- The word mangiare shares its roots with the word 'masticate' through the Latin 'mandūcāre', which originally meant 'to chew'.
Examples in context
- È ora di mangiare.It's time to eat.This sentence shows how to use mangiare to say it is time to eat.Tatoeba #1969670 by Guybrush88, translation #954096 by CK
- Io sto per mangiare.I'm about to eat.This sentence shows how to use mangiare to say you are about to eat.Tatoeba #3665190 by Guybrush88, translation #3665189 by CK
- Tom uscì a mangiare.Tom went out to eat.This sentence shows how to use mangiare in the context of going out to eat.Tatoeba #3922097 by Guybrush88, translation #3922007 by CK
- Vorrei mangiare una pizza.I would like to eat a pizza.
- Oggi mi faccio da mangiare la pasta.Today I'll make myself some pasta to eat.
- Faccio la scarpetta con la bruschetta.I'm mopping up the sauce with the bread.
- 2184 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Sofia and Matteo are deciding what to do for lunch.
- SofiaA che ora vuoi mangiare?What time do you want to eat?
- MatteoPreferisco mangiare verso l'una.I prefer to eat around one o'clock.
- SofiaVa bene, allora mangiamo tardi.Alright, then we will eat late.
- MatteoSì, ma avrò molta fame!Yes, but I will be very hungry!
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.
