infondere
The English phrase "infuse" translates to the Italian verb infondere.
infondere can mean to steep something in a liquid, but it is more commonly used figuratively to mean to instill a quality or feeling into someone or something.
Meaning: to steep in a liquid (verb)
Which one should you use?
If you are specifically talking about the culinary process of steeping tea or herbs in water, infondere is correct, but fare in infusione is often more natural in a kitchen context.
How does it change in a sentence?
The past participle infuso can be used as a noun to refer to the liquid resulting from the infusion (an infusion).
Did you know?
- Because it implies pouring something into a vessel, infondere can be used to describe the way a bright color or light spreads across a landscape in Italian poetry.
- Italian speakers use the word infuso to distinguish a tea that has been steeped from a decotto, which is a liquid produced by boiling the plant material.
- The word infondere comes from the Latin īnfundere, which literally means to pour into.
Example conversation
Alessandro and Martina are preparing tea in the kitchen.
- AlessandroQuanto tempo dobbiamo infondere il tè, Martina?How long should we infuse the tea, Martina?
- MartinaBasta infondere le foglie per tre minuti.Infusing the leaves for three minutes is enough.
- AlessandroVa bene, tolgo le foglie adesso.All right, I'll remove the leaves now.
- MartinaOttimo, ora possiamo versarlo nelle tazze.Great, now we can pour it into the cups.
Sources
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries infondere, CC BY-SA 4.0.
