vitello
/viˈtɛl.lo/masculine
The Italian word for veal is vitello.
vitello refers to the flesh of a calf. You will encounter this word in various culinary contexts, such as in Scaloppine al Limone, which is a dish of thinly sliced veal cooked in a lemon sauce or in Cotoletta alla Milanese, a specialty of breaded and fried veal cutlets.
Meaning: flesh of a calf (noun)
Which one should you use?
While vitello is the term for the meat, it is also the word used to refer to the calf itself.
How do you pronounce it?
The word has 3 syllables, with the stress on the 2nd syllable. The IPA pronunciation is /viˈtɛl.lo/.
Did you know?
- The classic dish Vitello Tonnato combines vitello with a tuna-based sauce, a combination that may seem contradictory to English speakers.
- While vitello refers to the calf, the term vitellone refers to a larger, older calf and is also the title of a famous 1953 Italian film about youth and unemployment.
- The Italian word vitello shares a common ancestor with the Romanian word vițel, making them distant linguistic cousins.
Examples in context
- Tu mangi il vitello?Do you eat veal?This sentence shows how to ask a question about eating vitello.Tatoeba #14041567 by Guybrush88, translation #1126745 by CK
- Non mangi il vitello.Don't eat veal.This sentence is a way to tell someone not to eat vitello.Tatoeba #14041067 by Guybrush88, translation #11935599 by CK
- Domani compreremo tacchino e vitello.Tomorrow we will buy turkey and veal.This sentence shows vitello being used in a list of items to be purchased.Tatoeba #10273807 by carlosalberto, translation #10273800 by carlosalberto
- 16 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Sofia and Lorenzo are deciding what to cook for dinner.
- SofiaLorenzo, cosa mangiamo stasera?Lorenzo, what are we eating tonight?
- LorenzoCuciniamo del vitello con le patate.Let's cook some veal with potatoes.
- SofiaOttima idea, il vitello è il mio preferito.Great idea, veal is my favorite.
- LorenzoAllora vado subito a fare la spesa.Then I will go grocery shopping right away.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “veal” translations and entries vitello, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries vitello, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
