pasto
/ˈpas.to/masculine
The Italian word for meal is pasto.
pasto refers to food that is prepared and eaten. It is commonly used in formal contexts, such as in travel or hotel descriptions where you might see the phrase pasto incluso (meal included).
Meaning: food that is prepared and eaten (noun)
Which one should you use?
While pasto refers to the meal as a whole event or unit of food, it is distinct from cibo, which means 'food' in a general sense.
How does it change in a sentence?
The singular masculine noun pasto becomes the plural form pasti to mean 'meals'.
How do you pronounce it?
pasto is pronounced /ˈpas.to/. It has 2 syllables, with the stress on the 1st syllable.
Did you know?
- In Italy, the most important pasto is typically the pranzo (lunch), which is traditionally longer and more substantial than dinner.
- The word pasto shares the same root as the English word 'pasture', because both come from the Latin word for 'food' or 'grazing'.
- A pasto completo in Italy often consists of four distinct courses: an appetizer, a first course, a second course and a dessert.
Examples in context
- Il pasto è buono.The meal is good.This sentence is useful for describing the quality of the pasto.Tatoeba #6044367 by Guybrush88, translation #2659816 by Joseph
- Tom pagò il pasto.Tom paid for the meal.This sentence shows how to use pasto when talking about paying for it.Tatoeba #6536334 by Guybrush88, translation #6532116 by CK
- Finì il suo pasto.He finished his meal.This sentence shows the action of finishing a pasto.Tatoeba #9857581 by Guybrush88, translation #7387804 by CH
- Vieni a casa mia stasera? Preparo del buon cibo!Are you coming to my place tonight? I'm cooking some delicious food!
- 142 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Chiara and Alessandro are talking about their lunch plans.
- ChiaraChe cosa mangiamo per questo pasto?What are we eating for this meal?
- AlessandroPreferisco qualcosa di leggero, Chiara.I prefer something light, Chiara.
- ChiaraPossiamo ordinare un'insalata allora.We can order a salad then.
- AlessandroOttima idea per un pasto veloce.Great idea for a quick meal.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “meal” translations and entries pasto, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries pasto, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
