Sono vegano
/ˈso.no veˈɡa.no/word by word
The English phrase "I am vegan" is translated into Italian as Sono vegano.
This phrase is used to state that a person does not eat or use any animal products.
Which one should you use?
If you only avoid meat but still consume animal products like eggs or dairy, you should use Sono vegetariano (masculine) or Sono vegetariana (feminine) instead.
How does it change in a sentence?
The form you use depends on the gender and number of the people being discussed. Use Sono vegano for a male speaker and Sono vegana if the speaker is female. To say "We are vegan" for a group of people, use Sono vegani. If the group consists only of females, use Sono vegane. While you can prepend the subject pronoun Io to the phrase to put extra emphasis on yourself, it is often omitted in natural speech unless you want to emphasize that you specifically are the one who is vegan.
How do you pronounce it?
/ˈso.no veˈɡa.no/
Did you know?
- Italy has seen a surge in vegano options in traditional pizzerias, but asking for a vegan pizza may still lead a server to suggest marinara because it is naturally vegan.
- In Italy, the term veganismo often carries a stronger political or ethical connotation than in English, sometimes being linked to animal rights activism rather than just dietary choice.
- The word sono is a linguistic curiosity because it serves as both the first person singular 'I am' and the third person plural 'they are'.
Examples in context
- Io sono vegano.I am vegan.This sentence is useful for practicing the phrase Sono vegano.Tatoeba #1455471 by Guybrush88, translation #367945 by rike
- Non mangio carne, pesce, né latticini.I don't eat meat, fish, or dairy products.
- Non mangio cibi di origine animale.I don't eat animal-based foods.
- Sono vegano da due anni.I have been vegan for two years.
- Non posso mangiare il formaggio, sono vegano.I cannot eat cheese, I am vegan.
- 1 more sentence on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Giulia and Alessandro are deciding what to eat for dinner.
- GiuliaAndiamo a mangiare in quella pizzeria?Shall we go eat at that pizzeria?
- AlessandroSì, ma io sono vegano, spero abbiano opzioni.Yes, but I am vegan, I hope they have options.
- GiuliaCerto, hanno molte pizze senza formaggio.Of course, they have many cheese-free pizzas.
- AlessandroPerfetto, allora andiamo!Perfect, let's go then!
Sources
- IPA marked “word by word” joins the Wiktionary pronunciations of each word (sono, vegano) and can differ in connected speech.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
