Sono vegetariano
/ˈso.no ve.d͡ʒe.taˈrja.no/word by word
The English phrase "i am a vegetarian" is translated into Italian as Sono vegetariano.
You might also use related phrases such as Non mangio carne (I don't eat meat), Non mangio prodotti di origine animale (I don't eat animal products) or Sono vegetariano/vegetariana, ma mangio pesce (I am a vegetarian, but I eat fish).
Which one should you use?
In English, you say "I am a vegetarian," but in Italian, you do not use the indefinite article un (a) when stating your status with the verb essere. You say Sono vegetariano rather than Sono un vegetariano.
How does it change in a sentence?
The form must agree with the gender of the speaker. If the speaker is female, the adjective changes from the masculine vegetariano to the feminine vegetariana. While Sono vegetariano is the standard way to say the phrase, you can add the subject pronoun Io at the beginning to say Io sono vegetariano if you want to add emphasis to the "I".
Did you know?
- The adjective vegetariano follows the same pattern as many Italian professions, where the article is omitted when describing a person's status or identity.
- In Italian, a person who eats fish but no other meat is often called a pescetariano, even though this is not an official dictionary term.
- The word sono in Sono vegetariano is inherited from the Latin word sum.
Examples in context
- Io sono vegetariano.I am a vegetarian.Tatoeba #1455474 by Guybrush88, translation #367935 by rike
- Sono vegetariano, non mangio carne.I am a vegetarian, I don't eat meat.Tatoeba #11128984 by carlosalberto, translation #11128950 by carlosalberto
- Sono vegetariano, quindi preferisco il risotto ai funghi.I am a vegetarian, so I prefer mushroom risotto.
- 1 more sentence on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Alessandro and Sofia are ordering dinner at a restaurant.
- AlessandroIo prendo la pasta, perché sono vegetariano.I'll have the pasta, because I am a vegetarian.
- SofiaHai ragione, questa pasta sembra ottima.You're right, this pasta looks great.
- AlessandroSpero che non ci sia pancetta.I hope there is no bacon.
- SofiaChiediamo al cameriere per sicurezza.Let's ask the waiter just to be sure.
Sources
- IPA marked “word by word” joins the Wiktionary pronunciations of each word (sono, vegetariano) and can differ in connected speech.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries sono, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
