Italian · Food & Drink

"Apple" in Italian: mela

la mela

Say it: lah MEH-lahfeminine · la melanoun/ˈmɛ.la/

Apple in Italian is la mela (lah MEH-lah), feminine: una mela, due mele. A melo is an apple tree, not the fruit.

At a market stall

Prendo un chilo di mele, grazie.
I'll take a kilo of apples, thanks.
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How to pronounce mela

Say it

lah MEH-lah

/ˈmɛ.la/

MEH-lah, stress on MEH. The e is open, like in "met". Mele is MEH-leh.

"Apple" in Italian: quick reference

ItalianEnglish
la melathe apple

The fruit, feminine.

una melaan apple

Ordering or offering one.

le melethe apples

Buying several.

succo di melaapple juice

Drinks and kids' menus.

How to use mela in real life

  1. 1At a market stall

    Prendo un chilo di mele, grazie.

    I'll take a kilo of apples, thanks.

    Mele by weight is normal at markets.

  2. 2Packing a snack

    Vuoi una mela per il treno?

    Do you want an apple for the train?

    Una mela as a simple snack.

  3. 3Baking at home

    Taglio la mela a pezzetti piccoli.

    I'm cutting the apple into small pieces.

    La mela when you mean that one.

Mistakes English speakers make with mela

Incorrect: Il mela è rossa.

Correct: La mela è rossa.

Mela is feminine: la mela, una mela.

Incorrect: Compro due melo.

Correct: Compro due mele.

Melo is the tree. The fruit plural is mele.

Good to know

Italian markets sell mele by variety—golden, renetta, fuji—and bakers turn them into crostate and strudel. Ordering un chilo di mele is everyday Italian, not textbook talk.

Try it in a ChatPal conversation

Choosing fruit at a market

  1. ChatPal

    Prendi la mela rossa o quella verde?

    Are you taking the red apple or the green one?

  2. You

    La mela rossa, per favore. Sembra più dolce.

    The red apple, please. It looks sweeter.

  3. ChatPal

    Ottimo. Ne prendo anche una mela per me.

    Great. I'll take an apple for myself too.

  4. You

    Poi facciamo una torta con queste mele.

    Then we'll make a cake with these apples.

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"Apple" in other languages

FAQ

Common questions about "Apple" in Italian

Is mela masculine or feminine?

Feminine: la mela, una mela, le mele.

What is melo?

An apple tree. The fruit is always mela.

How do I order apples?

Vorrei un chilo di mele, or simply un chilo di mele, grazie.

How do you say apple juice?

Succo di mela.

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