Ways to say it
| Italian | IPA | Note |
|---|---|---|
| abbondanza | /ab.bonˈdan.t͡sa/ | feminine |
| cuccagna | feminine |
The word abbondanza is a feminine noun used to describe a more-than-adequate amount of something. To say that something exists in plenty or in large quantities, use the idiomatic phrase in abbondanza. You can also use the adverb abbondantemente to mean more than sufficiently or very. For informal situations, you might use the expressions un sacco di or un mare di to convey the sense of plenty or an abundance of something.
Which one should you use?
While abbondanza refers to a quantity of something, cuccagna is used figuratively to describe a place or situation of great abundance or easy wealth, such as a land of plenty.
Related words
How do you pronounce it?
The word abbondanza is pronounced /ab.bonˈdan.tsa/. It has four syllables and the stress is on the third syllable.
Did you know?
- In the context of the 'Land of Plenty', cuccagna is often associated with the image of roasted pigs running around with knives already stuck in their backs.
- The word cuccagna comes from the popular folk tradition of the 'scala di cuccagna', a mountain of food prizes that people would try to climb.
- The word abbondanza descends from the Latin abundantia, which stems from a verb meaning 'to overflow' like a wave.
Examples in context
- C'è cibo in abbondanza.There is plenty of food.This sentence shows how to use abbondanza to describe an amount of food.Tatoeba #3676090 by Guybrush88, translation #268664 by CK
- Abbiamo cibo in abbondanza.We have plenty of food.This sentence demonstrates the use of abbondanza regarding food ownership.Tatoeba #3003899 by Guybrush88, translation #3824650 by CK
- Ci sarà abbondanza di tempo per discutere l'argomentoThere will be plenty of time to discuss the topic
- C'è tanto cibo da gustare alla festaThere's plenty of food to enjoy at the party
- Ho un sacco di tempo libero questo weekendI have plenty of free time this weekend
- Ho tante cose da fare oggiI have plenty of things to do today
- C'è molto da fareThere's a lot to do
- 2 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Chiara and Matteo are preparing a dinner party.
- ChiaraHai comprato abbastanza pane per tutti?Did you buy enough bread for everyone?
- MatteoSì, ne ho preso in abbondanza.Yes, I got plenty of it.
- ChiaraOttimo, così non rimarremo a corto.Great, that way we won't run out.
- MatteoNon preoccuparti, c'è abbondanza di tutto.Don't worry, there is plenty of everything.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “plenty” translations and entries abbondanza, cuccagna, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries abbondanza, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
