ghiaccio
/ˈɡjat.t͡ʃo/masculine
The Italian word for ice is ghiaccio.
ghiaccio is a noun used to describe water in its frozen form. You can use the phrase con ghiaccio to mean "with ice" and senza ghiaccio to mean "without ice".
Meaning: water in frozen form (noun)
Which one should you use?
While ghiaccio refers to the substance of ice, it is distinct from gelo, which refers to frost or freezing weather conditions.
Related words
How does it change in a sentence?
ghiaccio is a masculine singular noun. It does not change form when used as an uncountable mass noun.
How do you pronounce it?
The word is pronounced /ˈɡjat.tʃo/. It has two syllables, and the stress is on the first syllable.
Did you know?
- The word ghiaccio shares a common ancestor with the English word 'glacier'. Both come from the Latin 'glacies', which describes ice.
- The term ghiaccio can be used metaphorically in Italian to describe someone's expression or a stare. To have an 'expression of ice' implies a complete lack of emotion or warmth.
- The word ghiaccio is actually a past participle in disguise. It stems from the verb ghiacciare, which means 'to freeze' or 'to turn into ice'.
Examples in context
- Il ghiaccio è freddo?Is the ice cold?The first sentence is useful for asking if the ghiaccio is cold.Tatoeba #3432690 by Guybrush88, translation #3430211 by MTC
- Il ghiaccio è solido.Ice is solid.The second sentence is useful for stating that ghiaccio is solid.Tatoeba #5350641 by Guybrush88, translation #682043 by Source_VOA
- Il ghiaccio è freddo.Ice is cool.The third sentence is useful for describing ghiaccio as cool.Tatoeba #11328729 by Guybrush88, translation #4996958 by Hybrid
- Mi piace il ghiaccio nei miei drinkI like ice in my drinks
- Potrei avere un caffè freddo con ghiaccio, per favore?Could I have a cold coffee with ice, please?
- Durante l'inverno, mi piace andare a fare del pattinaggio sul ghiaccioDuring winter, I like to go ice skating
- 192 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Sofia and Alessandro are in the kitchen preparing drinks.
- SofiaHai del ghiaccio in freezer?Do you have some ice in the freezer?
- AlessandroSì, prendo subito il ghiaccio.Yes, I will get the ice right away.
- SofiaGrazie, ne ho bisogno per il tè.Thanks, I need it for the tea.
- AlessandroEcco il ghiaccio per te, Sofia.Here is the ice for you, Sofia.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “ice” translations and entries ghiaccio, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries ghiaccio, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
