dispensa
/disˈpɛn.sa/feminine
The English word pantry is dispensa in Italian.
The term refers to a storage room.
Meaning: storage room (noun)
How does it change in a sentence?
dispensa is a feminine noun.
How do you pronounce it?
The word has three syllables with the stress on the second syllable: /disˈpɛn.sa/.
Did you know?
- While dispensa refers to the room, Italians often use the term dispensa to refer specifically to the printed handouts or course materials provided by a professor in university.
- The word dispensa shares a common ancestor with the English word 'expense'. Both come from the Latin 'dispensare', which originally meant to weigh out or distribute something, much like a clerk distributing funds or a cook distributing food.
- For specialized storage of fine wines or cured meats, Italians use the word cantina instead of dispensa.
Examples in context
- La dispensa è vuota.The pantry is empty.This sentence is useful for describing the state of the dispensa.Tatoeba #5086478 by Guybrush88, translation #4546313 by mervert1
- C'è un topo nella dispensa.There's a mouse in the pantry.This sentence is useful for stating the location of a mouse within the dispensa.Tatoeba #8645230 by Guybrush88, translation #8634760 by Eccles17
- La dispensa è ben rifornitaThe pantry is well-stocked.
- Ho finito il riso, devo fare una lista per la dispensaI ran out of rice, I need to make a shopping list for the pantry.
- La dispensa è il cuore della mia cucina, dove trovo il necessario per preparare deliziosi piatti.The pantry is the heart of my kitchen, where I find what I need to prepare delicious dishes.
- Metti la pasta nella dispensa.Put the pasta in the pantry.
Example conversation
Francesco and Giulia are organizing their kitchen.
- FrancescoGiulia, dove sono i biscotti?Giulia, where are the cookies?
- GiuliaSono nella dispensa, in alto.They are in the pantry, on the top shelf.
- FrancescoNon li vedo più.I don't see them anymore.
- GiuliaGuarda dietro i pacchi di pasta.Look behind the packs of pasta.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “pantry” translations and entries dispensa, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries dispensa, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
