Italian · Food & Drink

"Spoon" in Italian: cucchiaio

il cucchiaio

Say it: koo-KYAH-yohmasculine · il cucchiaionoun/kukˈkja.jo/

Spoon in Italian is il cucchiaio (koo-KYAH-yoh), masculine. Un cucchiaio for one. Un cucchiaino is a teaspoon.

Soup course

Mi manca il cucchiaio per la minestra.
I'm missing the spoon for the soup.
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How to pronounce cucchiaio

Say it

koo-KYAH-yoh

/kukˈkja.jo/

Cucchiaio stresses KYAH: koo-KYAH-yoh. Soft double c like kk. Watch the iai diphthong.

"Spoon" in Italian: quick reference

ItalianEnglish
il cucchiaiothe spoon

Default tableware.

un cucchiaioa spoon

Asking for one.

il cucchiainoteaspoon

Coffee and desserts.

cucchiaio di legnowooden spoon

Cooking.

How to use cucchiaio in real life

  1. 1Soup course

    Mi manca il cucchiaio per la minestra.

    I'm missing the spoon for the soup.

    Il cucchiaio.

  2. 2Recipe

    Aggiungi un cucchiaio di olio.

    Add a spoonful of oil.

    Measure as cucchiaio.

  3. 3Setting the table

    Metti un cucchiaio a destra del coltello.

    Put a spoon to the right of the knife.

    Una place setting.

Mistakes English speakers make with cucchiaio

Incorrect: La cucchiaio è caduta.

Correct: Il cucchiaio è caduto.

Cucchiaio is masculine.

Incorrect: Dammi lo spoon.

Correct: Dammi il cucchiaio.

Use cucchiaio, not English spoon.

Good to know

At Italian tables the cucchiaio appears for soup and some desserts; coffee gets a cucchiaino. Recipes measure a cucchiaio di… the way English uses spoonful. Wooden spoons stay in the kitchen as cucchiai di legno.

Try it in a ChatPal conversation

Eating gelato slowly

  1. ChatPal

    Vuoi un cucchiaio o mangi il cono?

    Do you want a spoon or are you eating the cone?

  2. You

    Un cucchiaio, grazie: così non mi sporco.

    A spoon, thanks: that way I don't get messy.

  3. ChatPal

    Ce n'è anche un cucchiaino se il cucchiaio è grande.

    There's also a teaspoon if the spoon is big.

  4. You

    Va bene il cucchiaio normale.

    The normal spoon is fine.

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"Spoon" in other languages

FAQ

Common questions about "Spoon" in Italian

How do you say spoon?

Il cucchiaio.

Teaspoon?

Il cucchiaino.

Plural?

I cucchiai.

Pass the spoon?

Mi passi il cucchiaio?

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