cantina
/kanˈti.na/
The English phrase "root cellar" is translated into Italian as cantina.
A cantina refers to a structure built underground or partially underground used to store vegetables, fruits, nuts or other foods.
Meaning: structure built underground or partially underground and used to store vegetables, fruits, and nuts or other foods (noun)
Which one should you use?
While cantina is the standard term for a root cellar, it is more frequently used in modern Italian to refer to a wine cellar or a general basement.
How does it change in a sentence?
The plural form of cantina is cantine.
How do you pronounce it?
The word is pronounced /kanˈti.na/. It has 3 syllables, and the stress is on the 2nd of 3 syllables.
Did you know?
- The term cantina can also be used in a figurative sense to describe a small, perhaps slightly run-down, cafe or a local tavern.
- The word cantina shares a common ancestor with the Gaulish word for 'corner', which originally described the specific cornered spaces where liquor was stored.
- In many Italian apartment buildings, the cantina is a separate locked room in the basement assigned to each tenant for storage.
Examples in context
- La cantina è molto fresca.The root cellar is very cool.
- Conserviamo le patate nella cantina.We store the potatoes in the root cellar.
- C'è un sacco di frutta nella cantina.There is a lot of fruit in the root cellar.
Example conversation
Giulia and Matteo are checking their food supplies in the garden shed.
- GiuliaHai preso le mele dalla cantina?Did you take the apples from the root cellar?
- MatteoNo, le ho lasciate nella cantina.No, I left them in the root cellar.
- GiuliaControlla se sono ancora buone.Check if they are still good.
- MatteoSì, vado subito a vedere.Yes, I'll go check right away.
Sources
- Pronunciation: Wiktionary entry cantina, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries cantina, CC BY-SA 4.0.
