macchiato
The Italian word for 'stained' is macchiato.
The term macchiato can refer to a physical stain (like a coffee stain) or a pattern of spots/speckles. In a culinary context, macchiato refers to coffee 'stained' with a small amount of milk, known as a caffè macchiato.
Meaning: having a stain (adj)
How does it change in a sentence?
The adjective macchiato must agree in gender and number with the noun it modifies. Use macchiata for feminine singular nouns, macchiati for masculine plural nouns and macchiate for feminine plural nouns.
Did you know?
- Italian uses the word macchia to describe a 'thicket' or a dense scrubland, referring to the way patches of greenery look like stains on the landscape from a distance.
- In an artistic context, macchiato refers to a style called Macchiaioli, where painters used 'spots' or patches of color instead of traditional lines to define shapes.
- In Italian, macchiato can describe a person's criminal record, as a 'stained' record is called a fedina penale macchiata.
Examples in context
- Ha macchiato il muro di beige.She stained the wall beige.The sentence is useful for showing how to use the verb form of macchiato to describe staining a surface.Tatoeba #3286128 by Guybrush88, translation #316896 by rul
- Il tappeto è macchiato di vino.The carpet is stained with wine.
- La camicia bianca è sporca di pennarello.The white shirt is stained with marker.
- Ho macchiato la mia maglietta con la salsa.I stained my shirt with sauce.
- Ho sporcato il pavimento con il caffè.I stained the floor with coffee.
- Il muro è macchiatoThe wall is stained
- La camicia è macchiataThe shirt is stained
- I piatti sono macchiatiThe plates are stained
- Le tazze sono macchiateThe cups are stained
- Ho macchiato la tovagliaI stained the tablecloth
- Sto macchiando il tappetoI'm staining the carpet
- Il mio camice è macchiato di inchiostro.My lab coat is stained with ink.
- Attenzione, quel tovagliolo è macchiato.Watch out, that napkin is stained.
- 1 more sentence on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Giulia and Lorenzo are doing laundry together.
- GiuliaLorenzo, guarda questa maglietta!Lorenzo, look at this t-shirt!
- LorenzoCosa c'è che non va?What is wrong with it?
- GiuliaÈ tutto macchiato di grasso.It is all stained with grease.
- LorenzoAccidenti, proverò a lavarla subito.Oh no, I will try to wash it right away.
Sources
- Pronunciation: Wiktionary entry macchiato, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
