miele
/ˈmjɛ.le/masculine
The Italian word for honey is miele.
miele refers specifically to the sweet substance produced by bees.
Meaning: sweet substance produced by bees (noun)
How does it change in a sentence?
miele is a masculine noun, so you must use masculine articles and adjectives when using it in a sentence.
How do you pronounce it?
The pronunciation is /ˈmjɛ.le/. It has two syllables, and the stress is on the first syllable.
What mistakes should you avoid?
English speakers often mistakenly use miele as a term of endearment for a person, but in Italian, miele refers only to the food. Use tesoro or amore instead.
Did you know?
- The word miele is a relative of the English word 'mellifluous', which comes from the Latin 'mel' meaning honey and 'fluere' meaning to flow.
- In Italy, you will often see miele di castagno on menus, which is a dark, bitter honey made from chestnut trees that is highly prized in certain regions.
- While miele means honey, the phrase essere dolce come il miele is used to describe someone who is overly sweet or flattering, sometimes in a deceptive way.
Examples in context
- Il miele è dolce.Honey is sweet.This sentence is useful for describing the taste of miele.Tatoeba #11862014 by Guybrush88, translation #7733937 by CK
- Il miele mi piace.I like honey.This sentence is useful for expressing a personal preference for miele.Tatoeba #3317612 by Guybrush88, translation #3318649 by Vanilla
- Ti piace il miele?Do you like honey?This sentence is useful for asking someone if they like miele.Tatoeba #11862030 by Guybrush88, translation #8935575 by sundown
- 153 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Giulia and Matteo are having breakfast at home.
- GiuliaVuoi un po' di miele?Do you want some honey?
- MatteoSì, grazie, il miele è buonissimo.Yes, thanks, the honey is delicious.
- GiuliaPrendilo con lo yogurt.Have it with the yogurt.
- MatteoOttima idea, Giulia.Great idea, Giulia.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “honey” translations and entries miele, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
