mangiare
/manˈd͡ʒa.re/
In Italian, eating is mangiare.
The most common and general term for "eating" in Italian is mangiare.
Meaning: the act of consuming food (noun)
Is it said differently in some regions?
In the Roman dialect, locals use magnà instead of mangiare when speaking informally.
How does it change in a sentence?
The verb mangiare changes depending on the subject in the present indicative: mangio (I eat), mangi (you eat), mangia (he/she eats), mangiamo (we eat), mangiate (you plural eat) and mangiano (they eat). The past participle is mangiato (eaten).
How do you pronounce it?
The pronunciation is /manˈdʒa.re/. It has three syllables, with the stress on the second syllable.
When do people say it?
Before starting a meal, it is common to say Buon appetito!, which means "enjoy your meal." To express that you are hungry, you can say Ho fame!
Did you know?
- If you are eating in a very formal setting in Italy, some etiquette experts suggest avoiding the phrase Buon appetito! as it could imply that the host's food might not be sufficient to satisfy your appetite.
- The word mangiare descends from the Latin verb mandūcāre, which literally meant 'to chew' rather than just 'to eat'.
- In Italian, the phrase mangiare sul più bello means to interrupt something just as it reaches its most exciting or perfect moment.
Examples in context
- Ti va di mangiare?Do you feel like eating?This sentence is useful for asking if someone wants to eat.Tatoeba #5506029 by Guybrush88, translation #953187 by CK
- A me piace mangiare.I like eating.This sentence is useful for expressing a preference for eating.Tatoeba #7032196 by Guybrush88, translation #3452116 by DJ_Saidez
- Io amo mangiare qui.I love eating here.This sentence is useful for expressing a love for eating in a specific location.Tatoeba #13298250 by Guybrush88, translation #8216440 by CK
- Cosa hai mangiato oggi?What did you eat today?
- 420 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Alessandro and Chiara are discussing their favorite daily habits.
- AlessandroIl mangiare è il mio momento preferito.Eating is my favorite moment.
- ChiaraHai ragione, Alessandro, a me piace molto.You are right, Alessandro, I like it a lot.
- AlessandroPreferisci il mangiare sano o i dolci?Do you prefer healthy eating or sweets?
- ChiaraPreferisco sicuramente il mangiare sano, Chiara dice sempre così.I definitely prefer healthy eating, Chiara always says so.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “eating” translations and entries mangiare, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries mangiare, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
