piatto
/ˈpjat.to/masculine
In Italian, the word for plate is piatto.
The term piatto is the most common and neutral way to say plate in Italian. Related verbs for putting a meal on a plate include servire in un piatto, scodellare or guarnire, while the verbs placcare or laminare are used when referring to covering a surface with a thin coat of another material.
Meaning: flat dish (noun)
Which one should you use?
While piatto refers to a standard plate, the diminutive form piattino is used specifically for a small plate or a saucer.
Related words
How does it change in a sentence?
The noun piatto is masculine. To form the plural, change it to piatti.
How do you pronounce it?
The word is pronounced /ˈpjat.to/. It has two syllables, and the stress is on the first syllable.
Did you know?
- In many Italian contexts, the word piatto is used in the expression piatto forte, which means a 'trump card' or a person's greatest strength.
- The word piatto is a 'doublet' of the Italian word chiatto, meaning they both evolved from the same Ancient Greek root even though they look different.
- The term piatto can also be used figuratively to describe a person's voice or expression as 'flat' or 'dull', lacking any emotion or variety.
Examples in context
- È sul suo piatto.That’s on her plate.This sentence shows how to indicate something is located on a plate using piatto.Tatoeba #13344577 by cost_, translation #13342031 by mraz
- Questo è un piatto.This is a plate.This sentence is used to identify an object as a plate using piatto.Tatoeba #9754030 by Guybrush88, translation #9176696 by DJ_Saidez
- Lava il tuo piatto!Wash your plate!This sentence is an instruction to wash a plate using piatto.Tatoeba #12408883 by Guybrush88, translation #8611009 by shekitten
- Vorrei un piatto di pasta, per favore.I would like a plate of pasta, please.
- Posso avere un piattino per il dolce, per cortesia?May I have a small plate for dessert, please?
- Passami quel piatto di formaggio, per cortesia.Pass me that plate of cheese, please.
- 74 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Alessandro and Martina are setting the table for dinner.
- AlessandroMartina, mi passi un piatto?Martina, can you pass me a plate?
- MartinaCerto, ecco il tuo piatto.Sure, here is your plate.
- AlessandroGrazie, ora metto il cibo nel piatto.Thanks, now I'll put the food on the plate.
- MartinaPerfetto, il piatto è pronto.Perfect, the plate is ready.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “plate” translations and entries piatto, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries piatto, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
