caffellatte
/kaf.felˈlat.te/
The Italian phrase for "caffè latte" is caffellatte.
Meaning: caffè latte (noun)
How do you pronounce it?
/kaf.felˈlat.te/. The word has 4 syllables and the stress is on the 3rd syllable.
What mistakes should you avoid?
English speakers often order a latte in Italy expecting a coffee drink, but latte simply means "milk" in Italian.
Did you know?
- In Italy, ordering a caffellatte is traditionally a breakfast ritual and is rarely seen on a menu after 11:00 am.
- The Italian word latte is a cognate of the Latin lac, which is also the root for the English word 'lactate'.
- In Italian, if you want a small amount of milk in your coffee, you would ask for a macchiato, which means 'stained'.
Examples in context
- Un caffè latte, per favore.A latte, please.
- Buongiorno! Cosa desidera?Good morning! What would you like?
Example conversation
Giulia and Lorenzo are at a breakfast cafe.
- GiuliaLorenzo, cosa vuoi bere?Lorenzo, what do you want to drink?
- LorenzoVorrei un caffellatte grande.I would like a large caffè latte.
- GiuliaLo ordino io per entrambi.I will order it for both of us.
- LorenzoGrazie mille, Giulia!Thanks a lot, Giulia!
Sources
- Wiktionary, “latte” translations and entries caffellatte, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
