acqua naturale
/ˈak.kwa na.tuˈra.le/word by wordfeminine
The Italian phrase for still water is acqua naturale.
In the context of bottled water, acqua naturale is the standard way to indicate the absence of added gas or carbonation.
Meaning: water without carbonation (noun)
Which one should you use?
Use acqua naturale to specify non-carbonated water, as opposed to acqua frizzante (sparkling water).
How do you pronounce it?
The word has 5 syllables, and the stress is on the 1st syllable.
Did you know?
- In Italy, acqua naturale is often served at room temperature unless you specifically ask for it fredda or 'cold'.
- In Italy, you will often see acqua naturale labeled as acqua piatta, which literally translates to 'flat water'.
- While acqua naturale is the standard, asking for acqua del rubinetto means you want tap water, which is not commonly served in restaurants.
Examples in context
- Prendo un'acqua naturale, per favore.I'll have a still water, please.
- Preferisco l'acqua naturale alla frizzante.I prefer still water to sparkling water.
- C'è dell'acqua naturale in frigo?Is there any still water in the fridge?
Example conversation
Chiara and Matteo are ordering drinks at a restaurant.
- ChiaraMatteo, cosa bevi?Matteo, what are you drinking?
- MatteoPrendo un'acqua naturale, grazie.I'll have a still water, thanks.
- ChiaraAnch'io voglio l'acqua naturale.I want still water too.
- MatteoPerfetto, ordiniamo subito.Perfect, let's order right away.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “still water” translations and entries acqua naturale, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- IPA marked “word by word” joins the Wiktionary pronunciations of each word (acqua, naturale) and can differ in connected speech.
