mancia
/ˈman.t͡ʃa/feminine
The English word gratuity is translated into Italian as mancia.
mancia is used to refer to both small tips given to individuals and larger gratuities. If you see the phrase servizio incluso on a bill, it means the service charge is already included in the total.
Meaning: reward provided freely, without obligation (noun)
How does it change in a sentence?
The plural form of mancia is mance. To express the act of leaving a tip, the common verbal phrase is lasciare una mancia.
How do you pronounce it?
The word is pronounced /ˈman.tʃa/. It has two syllables, with the stress on the first syllable.
Did you know?
- The word mancia is believed to stem from the Old French word manche, meaning 'sleeve'. This refers to the historical practice of surreptitiously sliding a coin into a server's sleeve to keep the gesture private.
- When dining out, do not confuse a mancia with the coperto. While the latter is a mandatory service charge for bread and table settings explicitly listed on the bill, the former is a voluntary extra.
- Historically, a mancia could carry a double meaning beyond a simple thank you. In certain eras, it functioned as a small bribe or a way to facilitate social favors through unofficial channels.
Examples in context
- La ringrazio per il servizio eccellente. Ecco una piccola mancia.Thank you for the excellent service. Here is a small gratuity.
- Lasciamo una piccola mancia al cameriere.We are leaving a small tip for the waiter.
- La mancia non è inclusa nel conto.The tip is not included in the bill.
- Vuoi lasciare la mancia in contanti?Do you want to leave the tip in cash?
Example conversation
Sofia and Francesco are paying the bill at a restaurant.
- SofiaQuanto lasciamo di mancia?How much of a tip are we leaving?
- FrancescoLasciamo cinque euro, va bene?Let's leave five euros, is that okay?
- SofiaSì, è una mancia giusta.Yes, it is a fair tip.
- FrancescoPerfetto, ora possiamo andare.Perfect, now we can go.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “gratuity” translations and entries mancia, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries mancia, CC BY-SA 4.0.
