riscaldare
/ris.kalˈda.re/
To heat up in Italian is riscaldare.
riscaldare is used to describe the action of causing something to become hotter. You can also use the related noun riscaldamento when referring to a heating system, such as the one in a house. If you are talking about a person warming themselves up, such as after being out in the cold, use the reflexive form riscaldarsi.
Meaning: cause to become hotter (verb)
Which one should you use?
While riscaldare is the standard term for heating something up, the synonym scaldare is often used specifically when warming up liquids or food.
How does it change in a sentence?
The third-person singular present form is riscalda (he/she heats up), and the past participle is riscaldato (heated).
How do you pronounce it?
/ris.kalˈda.re/. The word has 4 syllables, with the stress on the 3rd syllable.
Did you know?
- In Italian, the act of 'warming up' before a sport is called riscaldamento, which is the same word used for a building's central heating system.
- The Italian word scaldare shares a common ancestor with the English word 'scald'. Both describe the process of heating something to a high temperature.
- The reflexive form riscaldarsi can be used metaphorically in Italian to mean 'to get excited' or 'to get worked up', much like 'to heat up' in English, though it is often used for physical warming.
Examples in context
- Vai a riscaldare dell'acqua.Go heat up some water.This sentence is useful for practicing the use of riscaldare.Tatoeba #13390827 by Guybrush88, translation #9603936 by Amastan
- Potete riscaldare le vivande?Can you heat up the food?
- La stanza viene riscaldata dal riscaldamento centralizzato.The room is heated by the central heating system.
- Scalderei il bagno prima della doccia.I would heat up the bathroom before taking a shower.
- Riscalda il latte nel microonde.Heat up the milk in the microwave.
- Mi hai scaldato il posto in macchina?Did you heat up the seat in the car for me?
- Riscaldiamo il cibo nel forno.We heat up the food in the oven.
- Devo riscaldare la zuppa per cena.I need to heat up the soup for dinner.
- Puoi riscaldare un po' di latte?Can you heat up a little bit of milk?
- 2 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Giulia and Francesco are in the kitchen preparing a quick meal.
- GiuliaFrancesco, puoi riscaldare la pizza nel forno?Francesco, can you heat up the pizza in the oven?
- FrancescoSì, certo, la riscaldo subito.Yes, of course, I'll heat it up right away.
- GiuliaGrazie, ho molta fame.Thank you, I am very hungry.
- FrancescoNon preoccuparti, sarà pronta tra poco.Don't worry, it will be ready in a moment.
Sources
- Pronunciation: Wiktionary entry riscaldare, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
