Italian Word of the Day: Cipolla (onion)

The word for onion in Italian is cipolla (feminine, plural: cipolle). They are a key ingredient in Italian cooking along with garlic, olive oil and tomatoes.

/tʃipol.la/
italian word for onion

Onions can be divided into three broad categories – red onions (cipolle rosse), white onions (cipolle bianche) and copper onions (cipolle ramate) – and within these categories, there are twenty different types known throughout the peninsula.

Ci sono tanti tipi di cipolle in Italia.

There are many kinds of onions in Italy.


The most famous is the cipolla rossa di Tropea (Tropea red onion) which is known for its sweet flavour.

Organic Red Pearl Onions in a Bowl

An onion is described using the diminutive cipollina when it is smaller in size than the average onion. For example, chives are known as erba cipollina whereas pickled onions are cipolline sottaceto. Spring onions have their own name which is cipollotto.

In padella, fai appassire le cipolline in olio, rosmarino e sale.

In a pan, lightly fry the small onions in oil, rosemary and salt.


A humorous slang term for orologio da tasca (pocket watch) in Italian is orologio a cipolla. It refers to the big, old-fashioned pocket watches of a bygone era.

When it’s cold outside or when the temperature changes from one moment to the next, Italian parents will encourage their children to vestirsi a cipolla which means to wear layers. This expression literally translates as “dress like an onion”!


Ethics statement: Below you will find affiliate links. If you buy something after clicking the link, we will receive a small commission. To know more about our ethics, you can visit our full disclosure page. Thank you!

Lingopie (affiliate link) is the Netflix of language learning application that uses real TV shows and movies to help you learn a new language. You can choose a show to watch based on your fluency level, and use the interactive subtitles to get instant translations to help you learn quickly.

Are you interested in improving your Italian in a fun and stress-free manner? Then we highly recommend Serena Capilli's short stories in Italian (affiliate link), designed for beginners, advanced beginners, and lower intermediate learners (A1-B1 CEFR). These stories have been optimised for English speakers in search of a fun, laid-back learning experience! Read our full review here.


Leave a Comment