pedale
/peˈda.le/masculine
The English phrase throttle can be translated into Italian as pedale or manetta.
Meaning: the lever or pedal that controls this valve (noun)
Ways to say it
| Italian | IPA | Note |
|---|---|---|
| pedale | /peˈda.le/ | masculine |
| manetta | /maˈnet.ta/ | feminine |
In Italian, a throttle refers to the lever or pedal that controls a valve. The term Acceleratore is also used to refer to the control used to increase or decrease the speed of a vehicle or engine. You may also see the phrase Comando del gas, which is a term for gas control used often when referring to motorcycles or other vehicles.
Which one should you use?
manetta is used specifically for a hand-operated throttle, such as on a motorcycle or an aircraft.
Related words
How do you pronounce it?
The word is pronounced /peˈda.le/. It has 3 syllables, with the stress on the 2nd of 3 syllables.
Did you know?
- While manetta refers to a throttle in a mechanical context, the same word is also the common Italian term for 'handcuffs'.
- The distinction between using pedale and manetta is determined entirely by which body part is used to operate the control, rather than the engine type.
- To describe the action of flooring the throttle, Italians use the verb schiacciare, which means 'to smash' or 'to crush'.
Examples in context
- Ho appena premuto l'acceleratore.I just pressed the throttle
- Devi girare il comando del gas per accelerare.You need to turn the throttle to accelerate
- Accelera premendo sul gas.Accelerate by pressing the throttle
- Premi il pulsante di accelerazione per aumentare la velocità.Press the throttle button to increase the speed
- Premi il pedale del gas per accelerare.Press the accelerator pedal to throttle up
- Paolo stava guidando la sua moto quando ha premuto l'acceleratore per sorpassare una macchina.Paul was riding his motorcycle when he pressed the throttle to overtake a car.
- Durante la gara di Formula 1, il pilota ha premuto a fondo il pedale del gas per raggiungere la massima velocità.During the Formula 1 race, the driver pushed the throttle pedal all the way down to reach maximum speed.
- Premi il pedale per accelerare.Press the pedal to accelerate.
- Il pedale dell'acceleratore è bloccato.The throttle pedal is stuck.
- Controlla se il pedale funziona bene.Check if the pedal works well.
Example conversation
Lorenzo and Martina are inspecting a broken car.
- LorenzoIl pedale non risponde affatto.The pedal isn't responding at all.
- MartinaLorenzo, hai provato a pulirlo?Lorenzo, have you tried cleaning it?
- LorenzoSì, ma il pedale sembra rotto.Yes, but the pedal seems broken.
- MartinaAllora dobbiamo chiamare un meccanico.Then we have to call a mechanic.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “throttle” translations and entries pedale, manetta, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
