cucchiaio
/kukˈkja.jo/masculine
The Italian word for spoon is cucchiaio.
cucchiaio refers to a scooped utensil used for eating or serving food. For a larger spoon specifically used to serve food from a dish, the term is cucchiaio da portata.
Meaning: scooped utensil for eating (or serving) (noun)
How does it change in a sentence?
cucchiaio is a masculine noun.
How do you pronounce it?
The word has 3 syllables and the stress is on the second syllable: /kukˈkja.jo/.
Did you know?
- Because of its Latin root cochlea, meaning 'snail', the word cucchiaio shares a common ancestor with the English word 'cochlea', which refers to the spiral-shaped structure in the inner ear.
- Ancient Romans may have used actual snail shells as the original spoons for eating eggs and snails.
- While cucchiaio is the general term, Italians often use the word cucchiaino for the tiny spoons used for coffee or dessert.
Examples in context
- Mi dia il cucchiaio.Give me the spoon.This sentence is useful for requesting a specific spoon.Tatoeba #737449 by Guybrush88, translation #430660 by CM
- Mi dia un cucchiaio.Give me a spoon.This sentence is useful for requesting any spoon.Tatoeba #6584457 by Guybrush88, translation #4788268 by NatsuDonkey
- Quel cucchiaio è mio.That spoon is mine.This sentence is useful for identifying ownership of a spoon.Tatoeba #13898743 by Guybrush88, translation #9999876 by CK
- Scusi, potrebbe passarmi un cucchiaio per favore?Excuse me, could you pass me a spoon, please?
- Signorina, può per cortesia portarmi una cucchiaia?Miss, could you please bring me a spoon?
- Ma dai, passami sto cucchiazzo che mi serve per mescolare!Come on, pass me that spoon, I need it for stirring!
- 104 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Lorenzo and Sofia are preparing breakfast in the kitchen.
- LorenzoSofia, dove hai messo il cucchiaio?Sofia, where did you put the spoon?
- SofiaÈ nel cassetto vicino ai piatti.It is in the drawer next to the plates.
- LorenzoNon vedo nessun cucchiaio qui.I don't see any spoon here.
- SofiaGuarda bene, è dietro il bicchiere.Look closely, it is behind the glass.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “spoon” translations and entries cucchiaio, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries cucchiaio, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
