Italian · Food & Drink
"Butter" in Italian: burro
il burro
Butter in Italian is il burro (eel BOOR-roh), masculine: un po' di burro, burro salato. On bread you often hear pane e burro.
Making toast
Passami il burro, per favore.Speak with an AI partner · 7 days free
How to pronounce burro
Say it
eel BOOR-roh
/il ˈbur.ro/
Burro stresses BOOR: BOOR-roh. Double r is lightly rolled.
"Butter" in Italian: quick reference
| Italian | English | When to use |
|---|---|---|
| il burro | the butter Default noun. | Default noun. |
| un po' di burro | a bit of butter Cooking or breakfast. | Cooking or breakfast. |
| burro salato | salted butter Choosing a type at the store. | Choosing a type at the store. |
| pane e burro | bread and butter Simple snack phrase. | Simple snack phrase. |
How to use burro in real life
- 1Making toast
Passami il burro, per favore.
Pass me the butter, please.
Il burro on the table.
- 2Cooking pasta sauce
Metto un noce di burro nella padella.
I'm putting a knob of butter in the pan.
Una noce di burro is a common measure.
- 3At the supermarket
Prendi il burro senza sale, grazie.
Get the unsalted butter, thanks.
Specify the kind with il burro + adjective.
Mistakes English speakers make with burro
Incorrect: La burro è nel frigo.
Correct: Il burro è nel frigo.
Burro is masculine: il burro.
Incorrect: Vorrei una burro per il pane.
Correct: Vorrei del burro per il pane.
Use del burro for some butter, not una.
Good to know
Northern Italian cooking loves burro; olive oil dominates further south. In cafés, a cornetto may come plain, so asking for burro is normal if you want it.
Try it in a ChatPal conversation
Breakfast at a B&B
ChatPal
Vuoi marmellata o solo burro sul pane?
Do you want jam or just butter on the bread?
You
Solo un po' di burro, grazie.
Just a bit of butter, thanks.
ChatPal
Perfetto. Il burro è quello nella ciotolina.
Perfect. The butter is the one in the little dish.
You
Ottimo, lo spargo subito.
Great, I'll spread it right away.
This is a sample. In ChatPal you have this conversation out loud and get feedback on what you say.
Practice this conversation in ChatPal"Butter" in other languages
FAQ
Common questions about "Butter" in Italian
How do I ask for butter?
Posso avere del burro? or Passami il burro.
Is burro masculine?
Yes: il burro, un po' di burro.
What is burro salato?
Salted butter. Without salt is burro senza sale or burro dolce.
Do Italians always put butter on bread?
Not always. Oil and jam are common too; butter is still everyday, especially at breakfast.
Learn a word, then use it out loud
- Step 1: See it in context
- Step 2: Say it out loud
- Step 3: Get feedback
- Step 4: Use it in real scenarios
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