gnam
/ˈɲam/
The Italian way to say 'yummy' is gnam.
gnam is an onomatopoeic interjection used to express that something tastes good, similar to how English speakers use 'yum'.
Meaning: delicious (adj)
How does it change in a sentence?
Unlike the English adjective 'yummy', the Italian gnam functions as an interjection rather than a standard adjective and does not change for gender or number.
How do you pronounce it?
/ˈɲam/
Did you know?
- If you are texting in Italy and someone sends a photo of an attractive person, responding with gnam is a common way to suggest they look 'delicious'.
- The phonetic 'gn' in gnam is the exact same palatal nasal sound used to pronounce the 'gn' in the famous dish lasagna.
- While an English speaker might say 'it is yummy', using gnam as an adjective in an Italian sentence like 'questo cibo è gnam' sounds quite childish or silly. It is almost always used as a standalone exclamation during a meal.
Examples in context
- Ooh! Mousse di cioccolata. Gnam.Ooh! Chocolate mousse. Yummy.This example shows how to use gnam to react to chocolate mousse.Tatoeba #3509865 by Guybrush88, translation #2082629 by halfb1t
- Gnam!Yummy!This example shows a simple exclamation of gnam.Tatoeba #4582617 by Guybrush88, translation #5366785 by GamalNemeri
- Questo piatto è deliziosoThis dish is delicious
- Questa zuppa è davvero gustosaThis soup is really tasty
- La pasta è molto saporitaThe pasta is very delicious
- Che gelato buono!What a good ice cream!
- Questa torta è divina!This cake is divine!
- Questa pizza è squisitaThis pizza is exquisite
Example conversation
Sofia and Alessandro are eating cake.
- SofiaAssaggia questa torta, Alessandro.Taste this cake, Alessandro.
- AlessandroGnam! È davvero buonissima.Yummy! It is really delicious.
- SofiaL'ho fatta io stamattina.I made it this morning.
- AlessandroComplimenti, Sofia, è perfetta.Compliments, Sofia, it's perfect.
Sources
- Pronunciation: Wiktionary entry gnam, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
