burro di karitè
masculine
The English phrase "shea butter" is burro di karitè in Italian.
burro di karitè refers to the fat extracted from the fruit of the shea tree.
Meaning: fat extracted from the fruit of the shea tree (noun)
What does it mean word for word?
The phrase is composed of burro (butter), di (of) and karitè (shea).
How does it change in a sentence?
The noun burro is masculine, so any accompanying adjectives must also be in the masculine form.
When do people say it?
The word karitè is a loanword from the French karité and is used in Italian to refer to the shea tree or its products.
Did you know?
- Italian has a 'doublet' for the word burro called butirro, though this version is now archaic and rarely used outside of specialized historical texts.
- The word burro is used in Italian for any creamy plant fat, such as burro di cacao for cocoa butter.
- Because burro applies to both food and cosmetics, an Italian speaker might use the exact same word to describe a kitchen ingredient and a high-end skincare product.
Examples in context
- Ho bisogno di burro di Karité per la mia crema idratante.I need shea butter for my moisturizer.
- Il burro di karitè è ottimo per la pelle.Shea butter is excellent for the skin.
- Devo comprare un barattolo di burro di karitè.I need to buy a jar of shea butter.
- Questo burro di karitè profuma molto bene.This shea butter smells very good.
Example conversation
Lorenzo and Martina are in a beauty shop.
- LorenzoCerchi un prodotto specifico?Are you looking for a specific product?
- MartinaSì, vorrei del burro di karitè.Yes, I would like some shea butter.
- LorenzoNe abbiamo uno molto naturale.We have a very natural one.
- MartinaPerfetto, lo prendo.Perfect, I'll take it.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “shea butter” translations, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries burro, di, CC BY-SA 4.0.
