Italian · Food & Drink
"Onion" in Italian: cipolla
la cipolla
Onion in Italian is la cipolla (lah chee-POL-lah), feminine. Plural le cipolle. Cipolla rossa is red onion. Cutting onions means piangere for many cooks—same joke as in English.
Soffritto
Trito la cipolla per il sugo.Speak with an AI partner · 7 days free
How to pronounce cipolla
Say it
lah chee-POL-lah
/la tʃiˈpɔl.la/
Cipolla stresses POL: chee-POL-lah. Double l is held. Soft c like ch before i.
"Onion" in Italian: quick reference
| Italian | English | When to use |
|---|---|---|
| la cipolla | the onion Default noun. | Default noun. |
| le cipolle | the onions Plural. | Plural. |
| cipolla rossa | red onion Type. | Type. |
| soffritto di cipolla | onion soffritto base Cooking start. | Cooking start. |
How to use cipolla in real life
- 1Soffritto
Trito la cipolla per il sugo.
I'm chopping the onion for the sauce.
La cipolla.
- 2Market
Due cipolle rosse, per favore.
Two red onions, please.
Cipolle.
- 3Kitchen joke
Questa cipolla mi fa piangere davvero.
This onion is really making me cry.
Cipolla.
Mistakes English speakers make with cipolla
Incorrect: Il cipolla è dolce.
Correct: La cipolla è dolce.
Cipolla is feminine.
Incorrect: Un onion nell'insalata.
Correct: Una cipolla nell'insalata.
Use cipolla.
Good to know
Almost every soffritto starts with cipolla, carota, sedano. Cipolla di Tropea is a sweet red celebrity onion. Tears while chopping are a national kitchen meme.
Try it in a ChatPal conversation
Starting a pasta sauce
ChatPal
Tagli tu la cipolla o piangi troppo?
Will you cut the onion or do you cry too much?
You
La taglio io. Questa cipolla è dolce.
I'll cut it. This onion is sweet.
ChatPal
Metti la cipolla nell'olio a fuoco basso.
Put the onion in the oil on low heat.
You
Ok. Quando la cipolla è trasparente avviso.
Ok. When the onion is translucent I'll say.
This is a sample. In ChatPal you have this conversation out loud and get feedback on what you say.
Practice this conversation in ChatPal"Onion" in other languages
FAQ
Common questions about "Onion" in Italian
Gender?
Feminine: la cipolla.
Plural?
Le cipolle.
Red onion?
Cipolla rossa.
Spring onion?
Cipollotto / cipollina often.
Learn a word, then use it out loud
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- Step 3: Get feedback
- Step 4: Use it in real scenarios
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