Italian · Food & Drink
"Salt" in Italian: sale
il sale
Salt in Italian is il sale (SAH-leh). Pass the salt is passa il sale. Too salty is troppo salato—from the same family.
Dinner table
Passami il sale, per favore.Speak with an AI partner · 7 days free
How to pronounce sale
Say it
SAH-leh
/ˈsa.le/
Sale is SAH-leh. Stress SAH.
"Salt" in Italian: quick reference
| Italian | English | When to use |
|---|---|---|
| il sale | salt The seasoning. | The seasoning. |
| passa il sale | pass the salt At the table (tu). | At the table (tu). |
| sale grosso | coarse salt Cooking. | Cooking. |
| senza sale | without salt Diet request. | Diet request. |
How to use sale in real life
- 1Dinner table
Passami il sale, per favore.
Pass me the salt, please.
Il sale.
- 2Cooking
Aggiungi un pizzico di sale all'acqua.
Add a pinch of salt to the water.
Di sale.
- 3Taste test
Manca un po' di sale in questa zuppa.
This soup needs a bit of salt.
Di sale.
Mistakes English speakers make with sale
Incorrect: La sale.
Correct: Il sale.
Sale (the seasoning) is masculine.
Incorrect: Il salt.
Correct: Il sale.
Use sale.
Good to know
Italian tables often have sale and pepe as a pair. Sale also means sale/discount in shops—context and accent habits keep them clear in speech; learners mean the seasoning with il sale.
Try it in a ChatPal conversation
Cooking pasta together
ChatPal
Hai messo il sale nell'acqua?
Did you put salt in the water?
You
Non ancora. Quanto sale serve?
Not yet. How much salt do we need?
ChatPal
Un cucchiaio di sale per questa pentola.
A spoonful of salt for this pot.
You
Ok. Poi assaggio prima di aggiungere altro sale.
Ok. Then I'll taste before adding more salt.
This is a sample. In ChatPal you have this conversation out loud and get feedback on what you say.
Practice this conversation in ChatPal"Salt" in other languages
FAQ
Common questions about "Salt" in Italian
Gender?
Masculine: il sale.
Pass the salt?
Passami il sale (tu).
Salty?
Salato / salata.
Sea salt?
Sale marino.
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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