pasto leggero
/ˈpas.to ledˈd͡ʒɛ.ro/word by word
The English phrase 'light meal' is translated into Italian as pasto leggero.
pasto leggero refers to a small amount of food that is easy to digest and does not make you feel too full. While it describes a light lunch or dinner, the term uno spuntino is more commonly used if you are referring specifically to a quick snack between meals.
What does it mean word for word?
The phrase is composed of pasto (meal) and leggero (light).
Which one should you use?
pasto leggero is used for a light meal, whereas pasto pesante is used to express the opposite, a heavy meal. Additionally, while pasto leggero refers to a light version of a main meal, uno spuntino is the preferred term for a quick snack.
How does it change in a sentence?
The plural form of the phrase is pasti leggeri, where both the noun and the adjective take the masculine plural ending -i.
How do you pronounce it?
/ˈpas.to ledˈdʒɛ.ro/. The word has 4 syllables and the stress is on the 1st syllable.
Did you know?
- The word spuntino for a snack is derived from the verb spuntare, which describes something popping up, like a mushroom or a new shoot of a plant.
- The word pasto shares the same root as the English word 'pasture', as both come from the Latin pāstus which originally referred to food for livestock.
- In Italy, a pasto leggero is not necessarily a small portion, as it can still include multiple courses like an appetizer and a protein.
Examples in context
- Ieri sera ho mangiato uno spuntino leggero con dei taralli.Last night, I had a light meal/snack with some taralli.
- Durante il pranzo di lavoro, ho ordinato un piatto leggero a base di pesce.During the business lunch, I ordered a light dish with fish.
- Dopo la partita, ho preso uno spuntino veloce con un'arancina.After the game, I had a quick light meal/snack with an arancina.
- Preferisco un pasto leggero a cena.I prefer a light meal for dinner.
- Abbiamo consumato un pasto leggero al sacco.We had a light meal as a packed lunch.
- Dopo l'allenamento, vorrei un pasto leggero.After the workout, I would like a light meal.
Example conversation
Martina and Francesco are deciding what to eat for dinner.
- MartinaFrancesco, cosa vuoi mangiare stasera?Francesco, what do you want to eat tonight?
- FrancescoVorrei solo un pasto leggero.I would just like a light meal.
- MartinaPossiamo mangiare un'insalata insieme.We can eat a salad together.
- FrancescoPerfetto, è un'ottima idea.Perfect, that is a great idea.
Sources
- IPA marked “word by word” joins the Wiktionary pronunciations of each word (pasto, leggero) and can differ in connected speech.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries leggero, pasto, CC BY-SA 4.0.
