Italian · Food & Drink
"Potato" in Italian: patata
la patata
Potato in Italian is la patata (lah pah-TAH-tah), feminine. Plural le patate. Purè di patate is mashed potatoes. Patatine fritte are fries—note the diminutive.
Shopping list
Prendi un chilo di patate, grazie.Speak with an AI partner · 7 days free
How to pronounce patata
Say it
lah pah-TAH-tah
/la paˈta.ta/
Patata stresses TAH: pah-TAH-tah. Plural patate is pah-TAH-teh.
"Potato" in Italian: quick reference
| Italian | English | When to use |
|---|---|---|
| la patata | the potato Default noun. | Default noun. |
| le patate | the potatoes Plural. | Plural. |
| purè di patate | mashed potatoes Side dish. | Side dish. |
| patate al forno | roast potatoes Oven prep. | Oven prep. |
How to use patata in real life
- 1Shopping list
Prendi un chilo di patate, grazie.
Get a kilo of potatoes, please.
Patate plural.
- 2Cooking
Sbuccio la patata sotto l'acqua fredda.
I'm peeling the potato under cold water.
La patata.
- 3Dinner side
Le patate al forno sono croccanti.
The roast potatoes are crispy.
Le patate al forno.
Mistakes English speakers make with patata
Incorrect: Il patata è cotta.
Correct: La patata è cotta.
Patata is feminine.
Incorrect: Prendo patatine (per patate intere).
Correct: Prendo patate.
Patatine often means fries; whole potatoes are patate.
Good to know
Sunday roasts bring patate al forno to many tables. Patatine fritte are snack-bar fries. Calling someone una patata can be a soft dig at clumsiness—tone matters.
Try it in a ChatPal conversation
Prepping a simple dinner
ChatPal
Cuociamo le patate al forno o lessate?
Shall we cook the potatoes roast or boiled?
You
Al forno. Taglio io ogni patata a spicchi.
Roast. I'll cut each potato into wedges.
ChatPal
Metti rosmarino sulle patate.
Put rosemary on the potatoes.
You
Fatto. Tra mezz'ora le patate sono pronte.
Done. In half an hour the potatoes are ready.
This is a sample. In ChatPal you have this conversation out loud and get feedback on what you say.
Practice this conversation in ChatPal"Potato" in other languages
FAQ
Common questions about "Potato" in Italian
Gender?
Feminine: la patata.
Plural?
Le patate.
Fries?
Patatine fritte.
Mashed?
Purè di patate.
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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