al sangue
/al ˈsan.ɡwe/word by word
The English phrase 'medium rare' is translated into Italian as al sangue.
This adjective describes meat that is cooked somewhat lightly. In an Italian culinary context, it is the standard way to request meat that is red and juicy.
Meaning: cooked somewhat lightly (adj)
What does it mean word for word?
The phrase literally translates to 'to the blood'.
Which one should you use?
While the English term 'medium rare' is used, the Italian term al sangue can cover a range from medium-rare to rare. If you want the meat to be even rarer than medium-rare, you can still use al sangue to indicate a very red center.
How do you pronounce it?
The pronunciation is /al ˈsan.ɡwe/. It has three syllables, with the stress on the second syllable.
Did you know?
- While al sangue is common for steak, ordering a burger al sangue in Italy can be risky because traditional Italian hygiene standards for ground meat often require it to be cooked through.
- The term al sangue is used for the meat, but if an Italian refers to a person as having sangue blu, they are saying that person is of noble or royal birth.
- In Italian, the phrase sangue freddo describes someone who stays calm under pressure, which is the opposite of the warmth associated with cooking meat al sangue.
Examples in context
- La carne è media-al sangue.The meat is medium-rare.This sentence is useful for showing how to describe the level of doneness of meat using al sangue.Tatoeba #11722885 by Guybrush88, translation #9142579 by acell
- Vorrei il mio filetto poco cottoI would like my filetto lightly cooked
- Vorrei la bistecca al sangue, per favore.I would like the steak medium rare, please.
- La carne è cotta al sangue.The meat is cooked medium rare.
Example conversation
Lorenzo and Martina are ordering food at a restaurant.
- LorenzoPer me, una bistecca al sangue.For me, a medium rare steak.
- MartinaIo la preferisco ben cotta.I prefer mine well done.
- LorenzoSei sicura, Martina?Are you sure, Martina?
- MartinaSì, lo preferisco così.Yes, I prefer it that way.
Sources
- Pronunciation: Wiktionary entry al sangue, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- IPA marked “word by word” joins the Wiktionary pronunciations of each word (al, sangue) and can differ in connected speech.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
