il cibo era fantastico
/il ˈt͡ʃi.bo ˈɛ.ra fanˈtas.ti.ko/word by word
The food was amazing in Italian is il cibo era fantastico.
This phrase is used to say that the food tasted very good. A more common and natural way to express that food was delicious in Italian is to use squisito instead of fantastico, such as in il cibo era squisito.
Which one should you use?
Use il cibo era fantastico to describe the general quality of food in a setting or to set a scene in a story, rather than focusing on a single completed event. Use il cibo è stato fantastico if you are referring to a specific, completed dining experience, such as a single meal that has just finished.
How do you pronounce it?
/il ˈtʃi.bo ˈɛ.ra fanˈtas.ti.ko/. The word has 8 syllables and the stress is on the 2nd syllable.
Did you know?
- In Italy, the gesture of bringing your fingertips together and moving your hand up and down is often used when discussing 'amazing' or 'delicious' food.
- The word cibo shares an unexpected linguistic ancestor with the Spanish word cebo, which means 'bait'.
- While fantastico is a general term, Italians often use the word squisito specifically for taste, as it shares a root with the English word 'exquisite'.
Examples in context
- Che bontà! Non ho mai mangiato così bene!How delicious! I've never eaten so well!
- Grazie, il cibo era fantastico!Thank you, the food was amazing!
- Il cibo era fantastico ieri sera.The food was amazing last night.
- Sì, il cibo era fantastico in quel ristorante.Yes, the food was amazing in that restaurant.
- Mi hanno detto che il cibo era fantastico.They told me the food was amazing.
Example conversation
Sofia and Matteo are finishing a dinner date.
- SofiaTi è piaciuta la cena, Matteo?Did you enjoy the dinner, Matteo?
- MatteoSì, il cibo era fantastico!Yes, the food was amazing!
- SofiaSono contenta che ti sia piaciuto.I am glad that you liked it.
- MatteoTutto era davvero squisito.Everything was truly delicious.
Sources
- IPA marked “word by word” joins the Wiktionary pronunciations of each word (il, cibo, era, fantastico) and can differ in connected speech.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries cibo, era, fantastico, il, CC BY-SA 4.0.
