prosciutto
/proʃˈʃut.to/
The English word 'ham' is translated into Italian as prosciutto.
prosciutto refers to the thigh and buttock of an animal slaughtered for meat. While the English word 'ham' can refer to many different types of cooked or cured meats, prosciutto specifically refers to the cured leg of a pig.
Meaning: thigh and buttock of any animal slaughtered for meat (noun)
Which one should you use?
To be more specific about the type of meat, Italians use different phrases. Use prosciutto crudo to specify dry-cured, uncooked ham. To refer to cooked ham, use prosciutto cotto.
How do you pronounce it?
The word has 3 syllables, with the stress on the 2nd syllable: /proʃˈʃut.to/.
Did you know?
- The term prosciutto is used in the idiomatic expression essere come il prosciutto, meaning to be very red-faced or flushed.
- The word prosciutto literally means 'dried up' in Italian. It comes from the word asciutto, which means 'dry', because the meat is cured through dehydration.
- True prosciutto crudo is cured using only two ingredients: salt and time, with some legs aging for up to 36 months.
Examples in context
- Il prosciutto è salato.The ham is salty.This sentence is useful for describing the saltiness of the prosciutto.Tatoeba #7800434 by Guybrush88, translation #7795983 by sharris123
- Il prosciutto è arrivato.The ham arrived.This sentence is useful for stating that the prosciutto has arrived.Tatoeba #1869266 by Guybrush88, translation #2333018 by Gulliver
- Io mangio del prosciutto.I eat ham.This sentence is useful for expressing that you eat prosciutto.Tatoeba #14040819 by Guybrush88, translation #12807538 by rul
- Vorrei un panino al prosciutto, per favore.I would like a ham sandwich, please.
- Ho preparato un arrosto di maiale per la cena, ma potremmo anche mangiare del prosciutto cotto.I made a roast pork for dinner, but we could also have some cooked ham.
- 32 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Matteo and Giulia are preparing a platter of cold cuts.
- MatteoGiulia, vuoi un po' di prosciutto?Giulia, do you want some ham?
- GiuliaSì, grazie, ne vorrei molto.Yes, thanks, I would like a lot of it.
- MatteoTaglio il prosciutto per te.I will slice the ham for you.
- GiuliaPerfetto, Matteo, grazie mille!Perfect, Matteo, thanks a lot!
Sources
- Pronunciation: Wiktionary entry prosciutto, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries prosciutto, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
