uva spina
/ˈu.va ˈspi.na/word by wordfeminine
The English phrase gooseberry is uva spina in Italian.
uva spina is a feminine noun used to refer to the gooseberry fruit.
Meaning: fruit (noun)
What does it mean word for word?
The term uva spina is a compound of uva (grape) and spina (thorn), literally meaning 'thorn grape'.
How does it change in a sentence?
When referring to gooseberries in the plural, the noun changes to uve spina, meaning only the word for grape becomes plural.
Did you know?
- In Italian, the word spina refers to both a plant thorn and a fish bone.
- While English uses 'goose' to describe this berry, Italian ignores the bird entirely. Instead, the Italian name focuses on the physical characteristic of being a 'thorn grape'.
- In Italy, gooseberries are more commonly associated with traditional jams and preserves than with being eaten fresh.
Examples in context
- Questa uva spina è molto dolce.This gooseberry is very sweet.
- Vuoi un po' di uva spina?Do you want some gooseberry?
- Ho comprato l'uva spina al mercato.I bought the gooseberry at the market.
Example conversation
Chiara and Matteo are in the kitchen preparing a dessert.
- ChiaraHai preso l'uva spina per la torta?Did you get the gooseberry for the cake?
- MatteoSì, l'ho messa nel cestino.Yes, I put it in the basket.
- ChiaraOttimo, è l'uva spina che preferisco.Great, it is the gooseberry I prefer.
- MatteoAllora prepariamo subito il dolce.Then let's prepare the dessert right away.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “gooseberry” translations and entries uva spina, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- IPA marked “word by word” joins the Wiktionary pronunciations of each word (uva, spina) and can differ in connected speech.
