croccantino
In Italian, kibble is croccantino. If unsure, use croccantino. Wiktionary also lists crocchetta.
Meaning: animal feed (noun)
Ways to say it
| Italian | IPA |
|---|---|
| croccantino | |
| crocchetta | /krokˈket.ta/ |
Kibble refers to animal feed. You may see the formal term Alimento in Granuli used for food in granules. In more informal settings, you can say Cibo secco per mici/cani to mean dry food for cats/dogs or simply use the informal term Croccantini.
What does it mean word for word?
The word croccantino is a diminutive of croccante, which means 'crunchy' or 'crispy', essentially translating to 'little crunchy thing'.
Which one should you use?
croccantino is the standard term used for dry pet food, whereas crocchetta refers more specifically to a single small piece or pellet.
How does it change in a sentence?
The masculine form croccantino becomes croccantini in the plural. The feminine form crocchetta becomes crocchette in the plural.
Did you know?
- The word croccantino is also used for a type of small, crunchy almond candy. If you use this word in a bakery, you are ordering a sweet treat instead of pet food.
- The term crocchetta is the same word used for a 'croquette', the fried potato or meat roll found on many Italian menus.
- In Italy, the 'wet food' opposite of croccantini is called umido, which is the same word used to describe 'humid' weather or 'moist' soil.
Examples in context
- Ho bisogno di comprare cibo secco per il mio cane.I need to buy kibble for my dog.
- Hai visto i croccantini che ho messo nella ciotola del gatto?Did you see the kibble I put in the cat's bowl?
Example conversation
Alessandro and Giulia are feeding their pet.
- AlessandroGiulia, il gatto ha fame.Giulia, the cat is hungry.
- GiuliaDammi il sacchetto del croccantino, per favore.Give me the bag of kibble, please.
- AlessandroEcco qui, prendilo pure.Here it is, go ahead and take it.
- GiuliaGrazie, ora lo servo.Thanks, I'll serve it now.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “kibble” translations and entries croccantino, crocchetta, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
