allattamento
/al.lat.taˈmen.to/
Lactation in Italian is translated as allattamento.
allattamento refers to the process of breastfeeding or the nursing period. To specifically specify breastfeeding as opposed to bottle feeding, use the phrase allattamento al seno.
Meaning: secretion of milk (noun)
What does it mean word for word?
The word allattamento is derived from the verb allattare, which combines the prefix a- (to/towards) and latte (milk).
Which one should you use?
While allattamento is the common term for the process of breastfeeding or the nursing period, lattazione is the technical biological term for the secretion of milk itself.
How do you pronounce it?
/al.lat.taˈmen.to/. It has 5 syllables, and the stress is on the 4th syllable.
Did you know?
- The Italian word latte for 'milk' is the root of the English word 'lactation' and the Latin term 'lac', which describes the milky way galaxy as via lactea.
- While an English speaker might use 'lactation' to describe the biological process, using lattazione in a casual conversation about a baby would sound strangely clinical or even medical.
- The term lattante can be used as a noun to describe an infant specifically by their biological stage of development.
Examples in context
- I medici consigliano l'allattamento al seno per tutti i neonati.Doctors recommend breastfeeding for all newborns.
- La produzione del latte può variare tra le donne.Milk production may vary among women.
- L'allattamento naturale ha molti benefici.Natural lactation has many benefits.
Example conversation
Martina and Alessandro are discussing a baby care book.
- MartinaHo letto un libro sull'allattamento.I read a book about lactation.
- AlessandroÈ utile per la nostra bambina?Is it useful for our baby girl?
- MartinaSì, spiega molto bene l'allattamento.Yes, it explains lactation very well.
- AlessandroAllora lo leggiamo insieme stasera.Then let's read it together tonight.
Sources
- Pronunciation: Wiktionary entry allattamento, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
