A tavola
A tavola! Literally means ‘To the table‘ which is used when you want someone/everyone to come to the table for lunch or dinner:
- È pronto … a tavola! = It’s ready … come to the table!
Table Setting Items in Italian
There are items that are generally on the table when you have breakfast (colazione), lunch (pranzo) or dinner (cena).
Here is a list of the common items of a basic table setting in Italian:
- il bicchiere = glass
- il calice (da vino) = wine glass with a stem (more information below)
- il coltello = knife
- il cucchiaio = spoon (plural: cucchiai)
- il cucchiaino = teaspoon
- la forchetta = fork
- il piattino = saucer / small plate (more information below)
- il piatto = plate
- il piatto fondo = soup bowl (more information below)
- il piatto piano = flat plate / dinner plate
- la tazza = cup
- la tovaglia = tablecloth
- la tovaglietta = place mat (sometimes called tovaglietta americana)
- il tovagliolo = napkin
There are more items that can be added to this list though these are the essential words you need to know.
More Italian Vocabulary
Il calice is a glass that has a stem to hold and a roundish foot or base. Only the top half (or part) above the stem holds the liquid. Compare this Italian word calice to the English word chalice or goblet used at religious ceremonies.
- calice da acqua = water glass (one with a stem)
- calice da vino = wine glass
Calice da vino or Calice di vino?
You can think of DA as indicating the function of something. So Calice da vino means the glass has the function of being for wine. There may or may not be wine in it … but that is its purpose or function. DI is used to say the recipient contains this liquid (or thing). Compare these two items:
- calice da vino = wine glass (the glass is used for wine)
- calice di vino = glass of wine.
With la tazza (cup) you can also specify the function of the cup:
- una tazza da caffè = a coffee cup
- una tazza da tè = a teacup
but look at these:
- una tazza di caffè = a cup of coffee
- una tazza di tè = a cup of tea
Here is an example sentence:
- Prendersi una tazza di tè alle cinque del pomeriggio è una tipica tradizione inglese.
Having a cup of tea at five in the afternoon is a typical English tradition.
I piatti – The plates and dishes
- i piatti = the plates
- lavare i piatti = to wash the plates / to wash the dishes
Il piatto piano is literally a flat plate. This is the typical flat dinner plate upon which the main meal is served.
Il piattino is a small plate. When a piattino is under a tazza (cup), it is sometimes called a piattino sottotazza.
- il piattino sottotazza = a saucer (sotto = under — tazza = cup)
Il piatto fondo is literally a deep plate. This is a type of dish / bowl with a wide rim and “deep” center used for soup or eating cereal.
Sometimes la ciotola is used for bowl though this is more the round deep dish without a rim used for mixing ingredients, serving food or the one filled with water for a dog or cat.
You may also hear the word la scodella used as the Italian word for bowl.
Another bowl I would like to mention is l’insalatiera which is specifically the salad bowl. L’insalatiera is a bigger (often wooden) bowl that sits in the middle of the table.
If l’insalatiera which is used for l’insalata (salad), then how would you say fruit bowl in Italian?
- l’insalata = the salad
- l’insalatiera = the salad bowl
- la frutta = the fruit
- la fruttiera = the fruit bowl
If you are having tea or coffee at the table, then there may be a zuccheriera on the table.
- lo zucchero = the sugar
- la zuccheriera = the sugar bowl
Piatto can also mean dish as in a cooked dish.
- Degusterete tutti i piatti durante il pranzo.
(You will taste all the dishes during lunch.)
Le Posate
Le posate is the collective noun for cutlery. Le posate refers to the collective name of il coltello, la forchetta and il cucchiaio considered together.
il coltello + la forchetta + il cucchiaio + il cucchiaino = le posate
Set the table in Italian
apparecchiare la tavola = to set the table
sparecchiare la tavola = to clear the table
And where is la tavola? It’s in la sala da pranzo (dining room).
I hope you found this lesson about table settings in Italian useful. If you did, please let other people know about our Woodward Italian.