Italian · Home, Clothes & Daily Life

"Paper" in Italian: carta

la carta

Say it: KAR-tahfeminine · la cartanoun/ˈkar.ta/

Paper in Italian is la carta (KAR-tah), feminine. Carta also means map or card by context. Plural le carte. Un foglio di carta is a sheet of paper.

Printer jam

Manca la carta nella stampante.
The printer is out of paper.
Practice Italian out loud

Speak with an AI partner · 7 days free

How to pronounce carta

Say it

KAR-tah

/ˈkar.ta/

Carta stresses KAR: KAR-tah. Soft c. Tap the r once.

"Paper" in Italian: quick reference

ItalianEnglish
la cartapaper / card / map (context)

Material and documents.

foglio di cartasheet of paper

Writing, printing.

carta igienicatoilet paper

Bathroom.

le cartepapers / cards

Plural.

How to use carta in real life

  1. 1Printer jam

    Manca la carta nella stampante.

    The printer is out of paper.

    La carta.

  2. 2Notes

    Hai un foglio di carta per scrivere?

    Do you have a sheet of paper to write on?

    Foglio di carta.

  3. 3Moving boxes

    Avvolgiamo i bicchieri nella carta.

    Let's wrap the glasses in paper.

    Nella carta.

Mistakes English speakers make with carta

Incorrect: Il carta è bianca.

Correct: La carta è bianca.

Feminine: la carta.

Incorrect: Mi serve del paper.

Correct: Mi serve della carta. / un foglio di carta.

Use carta, not English paper.

Good to know

Carta is busy: paper, playing cards, maps, and menus. Foglio di carta keeps the writing-paper meaning clear.

Try it in a ChatPal conversation

Prepping a school project

  1. ChatPal

    Abbiamo abbastanza carta per i poster?

    Do we have enough paper for the posters?

  2. You

    Sì, due risme di carta colorata.

    Yes, two reams of coloured paper.

  3. ChatPal

    Perfetto. Passami un foglio di carta bianca.

    Perfect. Pass me a sheet of white paper.

  4. You

    Ecco.

    Here.

This is a sample. In ChatPal you have this conversation out loud and get feedback on what you say.

Practice this conversation in ChatPal

"Paper" in other languages

FAQ

Common questions about "Paper" in Italian

Gender?

Feminine: la carta.

Sheet of paper?

Foglio di carta.

Toilet paper?

Carta igienica.

Other meanings?

Carta can also mean map or card — context decides.

Learn a word, then use it out loud

  1. Step 1: See it in context
  2. Step 2: Say it out loud
  3. Step 3: Get feedback
  4. Step 4: Use it in real scenarios

Keep reading

Ready to say it out loud?

ChatPal is a voice-first app for practicing real conversations in Italian. Try real scenarios and get personalized feedback on your speaking.

Start with 7 days free.