Words the English mangle in Italian

1. 1
   gnocco/ˈɲɔkko/

   gnocchinoun

   A soft ball of potato and flour cooked in boiling water.
2. 2
   aglio/ˈaʎʎo/

   garlicnoun

   A white bulb with a strong flavor added to dishes to give them taste.
3. 3
   lasagna/laˈsaɲɲa/

   lasagnanoun

   Pasta in wide, flat sheets, baked in layers with sauce.
4. 4
   famiglia/faˈmiʎʎa/

   familynoun

   The group of people related by kinship, like parents and children.
5. 5
   grazie/ˈɡrattsje/

   thanksnoun

   An expression used to thank someone.
6. 6
   zucchero/ˈdzukkero/

   sugarnoun

   A sweet white powder added to coffee, tea or desserts.
7. 7
   pizza/ˈpittsa/

   pizzanoun

   A disc of dough topped with tomato and cheese and baked in the oven.
8. 8
   birra/ˈbirra/

   beernoun

   An alcoholic drink made with barley, which foams up in the glass.
9. 9
   mezzo/ˈmɛddzo/

   halfadjective

   Being half of something.
10. 10
    arrosto/arˈrɔsto/

    roastadjective

    Said of meat or vegetables cooked in the oven or on a spit, without water.

The sentences

1. Assaggia questo gnocco, è morbido e sa di patate vere.

   Try this gnocco, it's soft and tastes like real potato.

2. Nel sugo di pomodoro ci metto sempre uno spicchio di aglio.

   I always put a clove of garlic in the tomato sauce.

3. Questa lasagna al forno è ancora troppo calda per mangiarla.

   This baked lasagna is still too hot to eat.

4. Ho prenotato un tavolo per tutta la famiglia vicino alla finestra.

   I booked a table for the whole family near the window.

5. Quando ti portano il piatto, ricorda di dire grazie al cameriere.

   When they bring you your plate, remember to say thanks to the waiter.

6. Nel caffè metti un cucchiaino di zucchero o lo bevi amaro?

   Do you put a spoonful of sugar in your coffee, or drink it black?

7. Vorrei una pizza con poco pomodoro e molto formaggio, per favore.

   I'd like a pizza with a little tomato and lots of cheese, please.

8. Prendo una birra alla spina, tu invece cosa vuoi bere?

   I'll have a draft beer, what about you?

9. Versami solo mezzo bicchiere, che dopo cena devo guidare io.

   Just pour me half a glass, I'm driving after dinner.

10. Per secondo prendo il pollo arrosto con le patate al forno.

    For my main course I'll have roast chicken with roast potatoes.

Pronunciation

• gnocco/ˈɲɔkko/

  Gn at the start is a single sound, the o is open and the double c is held.

• aglio/ˈaʎʎo/

  The stress is on the a, and -gli- is a single, long sound, not g plus l.

• lasagna/laˈsaɲɲa/

  Here the s is voiceless, like in the English word sun, not like the s in rose.

• famiglia/faˈmiʎʎa/

  The group -gli- is a single sound, held long, never g plus l; the stress falls on -mi-.

• grazie/ˈɡrattsje/

  Even though it's written with a single z, the zz sound is voiceless and long; the stress falls on gra-.

• zucchero/ˈdzukkero/

  Stress on the first syllable: ZUC-che-ro; the double c is hard and long.

• pizza/ˈpittsa/

  The zz is a doubled, long ts sound, not the English z.

• birra/ˈbirra/

  The double r is trilled longer than a single r.

• mezzo/ˈmɛddzo/

  The e is open and the zz is voiced and long.

• arrosto/arˈrɔsto/

  Stress on the second syllable, with an open o, and the double r held.

Questions

How do you say a dish is still too hot?

You can say the lasagna al forno is still too hot to eat.

What do you say when the waiter brings your plate?

When they bring you the dish, you say grazie to the waiter.

What does mezzo mean here?

Mezzo means half of something, as in mezzo bicchiere, half a glass.