tè freddo
/ˈtɛ ˈfred.do/word by wordmasculine
The English phrase iced tea is tè freddo in Italian.
tè freddo is a masculine noun used to refer to tea that is served cold.
Meaning: cold tea (noun)
Is it said differently in some regions?
In the Sicilian dialect, the term used for iced tea is tè freddu.
How do you pronounce it?
/ˈtɛ ˈfred.do/. The word has three syllables, and the stress is on the first syllable.
Did you know?
- In some parts of Italy, if you order tè freddo in a traditional cafe, they might serve you a tea-flavored soda rather than brewed tea over ice.
- The word tè can be written with or without the grave accent, though the accent is frequently used to distinguish it from the preposition 'te' (meaning 'you').
- The word tè entered the Italian language via French and Dutch before reaching Italy, rather than coming directly from Asia.
Examples in context
- Vorrei un tè freddo, per favoreI would like an iced tea, please
- Voglio un tè freddo, per favoreI want an iced tea, please
- Mi porti un bicchiere di tè freddo, per piacere?Can you bring me a glass of iced tea, please?
- Mi piacerebbe avere un tè alla menta freddo, per favoreI would like to have a cold mint tea, please
- Vorrei un tè freddo al limone, per favore.I would like a lemon iced tea, please.
- Il tè freddo è molto rinfrescante oggi.Iced tea is very refreshing today.
Example conversation
Giulia and Alessandro are having lunch at an outdoor cafe.
- GiuliaAlessandro, vuoi ordinare un tè freddo?Alessandro, do you want to order an iced tea?
- AlessandroSì, grazie. Mi piacerebbe molto un tè freddo.Yes, thanks. I would really like an iced tea.
- GiuliaPrendo anche io un tè freddo alla pesca.I will also have a peach iced tea.
- AlessandroOttima idea, fa molto caldo oggi.Great idea, it is very hot today.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “iced tea” translations and entries tè freddo, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- IPA marked “word by word” joins the Wiktionary pronunciations of each word (tè, freddo) and can differ in connected speech.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries freddo, tè, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
