parmigiano
/par.miˈd͡ʒa.no/masculine
In Italian, the word for parmesan is parmigiano.
parmigiano is a masculine noun used to describe the hard, full-fat Italian cheese from Parma. The related adjective parmigiano can also be used to describe things that originate from Parma, as can the adjective parmense.
Meaning: hard, full-fat Italian cheese from Parma (noun)
Which one should you use?
While parmigiano is the common noun for the cheese, the full name parmigiano reggiano is used to refer to the specific protected designation of origin (PDO) product. Additionally, Parmigiano Reggiano is considered one of the most formal and authentic ways to name the cheese.
Related words
How does it change in a sentence?
Be careful with the feminine form parmigiana.
How do you pronounce it?
The word has 4 syllables, with the stress on the 3rd syllable: /par.miˈdʒa.no/.
What mistakes should you avoid?
Do not use the term Parmigiana to refer to the cheese. In Italian, Parmigiana refers to a classic dish made with eggplant, tomato sauce and cheese.
Did you know?
- The word parmigiano has a linguistic cousin in Sicily, where it appears as parmisanu or parmicianu. This shows how the word evolved differently across the Italian peninsula.
- Because parmigiano is a hard cheese, it is often referred to as the 'king of cheeses' in Italian culinary culture, signifying its status as a base ingredient for many other dishes.
- If you are looking for a hard, granular cheese that is not the protected Parmigiano Reggiano, you will often see it labeled simply as grana, which literally translates to 'grain'.
Examples in context
- Il Parmigiano Reggiano viene da Parma, in Italia.Parmesan cheese comes from Parma, Italy.This sentence is useful for stating that parmigiano comes from Parma, Italy.Tatoeba #7033304 by Guybrush88, translation #7033298 by Hybrid
- Vuoi del parmigiano?Do you want parmesan cheese?This sentence is useful for asking if someone wants some parmigiano.Tatoeba #11841935 by Guybrush88, translation #6580965 by Eccles17
- Mi piace molto il parmigiano sopra la pasta.I really like parmesan on top of the pasta.
- 2 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Martina and Lorenzo are preparing dinner together.
- MartinaLorenzo, dove hai messo il parmigiano?Lorenzo, where did you put the parmesan?
- LorenzoÈ nel frigorifero, vicino al burro.It is in the fridge, next to the butter.
- MartinaGrazie, ne serve molto per questo piatto.Thanks, a lot of it is needed for this dish.
- LorenzoHai ragione, il parmigiano rende tutto più buono.You are right, parmesan makes everything taste better.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “parmesan” translations and entries parmigiano, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries parmigiano, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
