Italian · Food & Drink
"Sauce" in Italian: salsa
la salsa
Sauce in Italian is la salsa (lah SAHL-sah), feminine. Una salsa al pomodoro is a tomato sauce. On menus, salsa can mean a dressing or dip beside the main.
Pasta order
Vorrei la pasta con poca salsa.Speak with an AI partner · 7 days free
How to pronounce salsa
Say it
lah SAHL-sah
/la ˈsal.sa/
Salsa: SAHL-sah. Clear l; both a open. Two syllables. Stress SAHL.
"Sauce" in Italian: quick reference
| Italian | English | When to use |
|---|---|---|
| la salsa | the sauce General noun. | General noun. |
| salsa di pomodoro | tomato sauce Classic base. | Classic base. |
| salsa verde | green sauce Herb sauce. | Herb sauce. |
| senza salsa | without sauce Ordering tweak. | Ordering tweak. |
How to use salsa in real life
- 1Pasta order
Vorrei la pasta con poca salsa.
I'd like the pasta with little sauce.
Poca salsa.
- 2Steak plate
La salsa a parte, per favore.
Sauce on the side, please.
La salsa a parte.
- 3Home cooking
Questa salsa ha bisogno di sale.
This sauce needs salt.
Questa salsa.
Mistakes English speakers make with salsa
Incorrect: Il salsa è pronto.
Correct: La salsa è pronta.
Salsa is feminine.
Incorrect: Passami il sauce.
Correct: Passami la salsa.
Use salsa, not English sauce.
Good to know
Salsa is everyday; sugo often points to a cooked tomato pasta sauce specifically. Restaurants may list salsa di soia or salsa yogurt on modern menus—ask which salsa if the dish name is vague.
Try it in a ChatPal conversation
Tweaking a pasta dish
ChatPal
Ti piace la salsa più densa o più liquida?
Do you like the sauce thicker or thinner?
You
Più densa—e poca salsa sul piatto.
Thicker—and little sauce on the plate.
ChatPal
Ok. Aggiungo basilico alla salsa.
Okay. I'll add basil to the sauce.
You
Perfetto, assaggio tra un minuto.
Perfect, I'll taste in a minute.
This is a sample. In ChatPal you have this conversation out loud and get feedback on what you say.
Practice this conversation in ChatPal"Sauce" in other languages
FAQ
Common questions about "Sauce" in Italian
How do you say sauce?
La salsa.
Tomato sauce?
Salsa di pomodoro (or sugo).
Gender?
Feminine: la salsa.
On the side?
La salsa a parte.
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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