uovo
/ˈwɔ.vo/masculine
The Italian word for egg is uovo.
uovo refers to the edible egg of a domestic fowl or the contents of such an egg used as food. You may encounter specific culinary terms such as uovo sodo for a hard-boiled egg, or all'occhio di bue when ordering sunny-side-up or fried eggs with a runny yolk.
Meaning: edible egg of a domestic fowl, the contents of such an egg or eggs used as food (noun)
How does it change in a sentence?
While uovo is a masculine noun, its plural form is the irregular feminine uova. When using the definite article in the singular, the masculine article lo is elided to become l'uovo because the word begins with a vowel.
How do you pronounce it?
/ˈwɔ.vo/. The word has two syllables and the stress is on the first syllable.
What mistakes should you avoid?
Avoid using the phrase gli uova. Although the singular is masculine, the plural must use the feminine article le to form le uova.
When do people say it?
In Italy, torta pasqualina is a savory Easter pie with eggs baked inside.
Did you know?
- The torta pasqualina is a tradition particularly strong in Liguria, where the eggs are often hidden whole inside the crust to symbolize rebirth during Easter.
- The word uovo shares a distant ancestor with the English word 'ovary', demonstrating how Latin roots for 'egg' branched into different biological terms.
- If you are describing something as 'egg-shaped', Italians use the adjective ovale, which looks much more like the English 'oval' than the word uovo does.
Examples in context
- Io ho un uovo.I have an egg.This sentence shows how to express possession of an uovo.Tatoeba #3475298 by Guybrush88, translation #262179 by CK
- Questo è un uovo.This is an egg.This sentence is useful for identifying an uovo.Tatoeba #2611417 by Guybrush88, translation #1761900 by Dejo
- Si bollì un uovo.He boiled himself an egg.This sentence demonstrates the use of uovo in the context of boiling.Tatoeba #11727828 by Guybrush88, translation #8536274 by CH
- Ho bisogno di una dozzina di uova per la ricetta.I need a dozen eggs for the recipe.
- Mi piace il tuo modo di preparare le omelette.I like the way you make omelettes.
- Ogni mattina mangio un uovo sodo a colazione.Every morning, I eat a hard-boiled egg for breakfast.
- 293 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
In a kitchen during breakfast.
- FrancescoVuoi un uovo sodo?Do you want a hard-boiled egg?
- SofiaNo, preferisco un uovo al tegamino.No, I prefer a sunny-side up egg.
- FrancescoTi preparo un uovo allora.I will prepare an egg for you then.
- SofiaGrazie mille, Francesco.Thanks a lot, Francesco.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “egg” translations and entries uovo, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
