pasticceria
The Italian word for pastry is pasticceria.
In Italian, pasticceria refers to the establishment where baked goods are sold, such as a pastry shop. To refer to an individual sweet pastry or dessert, it is more common to use the word dolce. While the word pasticcio shares a similar root, it is also used figuratively to mean a mess or a muddle.
Meaning: baked food item (noun)
Which one should you use?
There is a distinction between the place and the food: pasticceria refers to the pastry shop itself, whereas dolce is the term more frequently used for the actual individual pastries.
Is it said differently in some regions?
Specific famous pastries are tied to certain regions: a sfogliatella is a well-known Neapolitan pastry, and a cannolo is a famous Sicilian pastry.
Did you know?
- The word pasticcio for a 'mess' originates from the idea of a pie where various ingredients are mixed together haphazardly. This makes a 'muddle' literally a 'pastry' gone wrong.
- In Italy, calling someone a pasticcione is a way to call them a clumsy person who constantly makes mistakes.
- If you go to a pasticceria for breakfast, it is customary to pair a dolce with a cappuccino. However, ordering a milk-heavy coffee after 11 a.m. is often seen as a social faux pas.
Examples in context
- La pasticceria è aperta.The pastry shop is open.This sentence shows how to state that the pasticceria is open.Tatoeba #13536925 by Guybrush88, translation #6736517 by Eccles17
- Miroslav lavora in una pasticceria.Miroslav works at a pastry shop.This sentence describes someone working at a pasticceria.Tatoeba #13537016 by Guybrush88, translation #11833405 by Amastan
- Andiamo a prendere un dolce?Shall we go get a pastry?
- Vorrei un cornetto alla marmellata, per favore.I would like a jam-filled croissant, please.
Example conversation
Alessandro and Chiara are at a bakery.
- AlessandroGuarda che bella pasticceria!Look at that beautiful pastry!
- ChiaraSì, sembra davvero deliziosa.Yes, it looks really delicious.
- AlessandroNe prendiamo una per noi?Shall we get one for us?
- ChiaraSì, prendiamola subito.Yes, let's get it right away.
Sources
- Pronunciation: Wiktionary entry pasticceria, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
