salsa
/ˈsal.sa/feminine
The Italian word for sauce is salsa.
salsa is a general term used to describe a liquid condiment. If you want to specify tomato sauce, you should use the phrase salsa di pomodoro.
Meaning: liquid condiment (noun)
Which one should you use?
While salsa is a general term for any sauce or condiment, sugo is the specific term used for the liquid sauce served over pasta, such as meat or tomato-based sauces. In the Bologna and Emilia-Romagna regions, people often use ragù instead of salsa or sugo to refer specifically to a slow-cooked, meat-based sauce.
Is it said differently in some regions?
In Bologna and the Emilia-Romagna region, ragù is commonly used instead of salsa or sugo to refer to slow-cooked meat-based sauces.
How does it change in a sentence?
salsa is a feminine noun, which means it requires feminine articles and adjectives. The plural form of salsa is salse.
How do you pronounce it?
The word is pronounced /ˈsal.sa/. It has two syllables, and the stress is on the first syllable.
Did you know?
- The word salsa shares a root with the English word 'salary' because both come from the Latin word for salt, sal.
- The word salsa is used in Italian to describe a 'sauce' in a culinary sense, but it also appears in the word salsicia for sausage, which is meat preserved with salt.
- Italian cuisine uses salsa for a wide variety of preparations, including 'salsa verde', a cold herb sauce that contains no tomatoes or cream.
Examples in context
- Lo provi senza salsa.Try it without sauce.This example shows how to suggest trying something without salsa.Tatoeba #11783649 by Guybrush88, translation #5811597 by Hybrid
- Sami odiava la salsa.Sami hated the sauce.This example illustrates expressing a dislike for salsa.Tatoeba #11783651 by Guybrush88, translation #7270447 by OsoHombre
- Ziri vuole più salsa.Ziri wants more sauce.This example demonstrates requesting more salsa.Tatoeba #11783652 by Guybrush88, translation #10215896 by Amastan
- Vorrei una salsa al pomodoro per la mia pasta.I would like a tomato sauce for my pasta.
- 117 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Sofia and Lorenzo are having dinner at home.
- SofiaQuesta salsa è deliziosa, Lorenzo.This sauce is delicious, Lorenzo.
- LorenzoGrazie, Sofia, sono contento che ti piaccia.Thanks, Sofia, I am glad you like it.
- SofiaVuoi un po' più di salsa?Do you want a little more sauce?
- LorenzoNo grazie, è perfetta così.No thanks, it is perfect as it is.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “sauce” translations and entries salsa, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries salsa, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
