The word for fork in Italian is forchetta. It is the diminutive form of the word forca (pitchfork), which comes from the Latin furca.
Here are the definite and indefinite articles that must be used with this feminine noun:
la forchetta
the fork
una forchetta
a fork
le forchette
the forks
delle forchette
(some) forks
A few different kinds of forchette with which you may be familiar include:
- forchetta di plastica = plastic fork
- forchetta da tavola = dinner fork
- forchetta d’argento = silver fork
- forchettone = carving fork
- forchetta di acciaio = steel fork
- forchetta da dessert = dessert fork
Ti sei dimenticato di aggiungere le forchette quando hai apparecchiato il tavolo.
You forgot to add the forks when you laid the table.
From forchetta, we get the word forchettata, which means both a forkful (of food), and somewhat amusingly, the act of stabbing someone or something with a fork.
Mi ha dato una forchettata sulla mano che mi ha fatto urlare dal dolore!
He stabbed my hand with a fork and made me scream in pain!
(lit. He gave my hand a fork-stabbing that made me scream in pain.)
Idioms featuring the word ‘forchetta’
Essere una buona forchetta
Literal translation: to be a good fork
English meaning: to be a hearty eater
Parlare in punta di forchetta
Literal translation: to speak on the tip of the fork
English meaning: to pick one’s words
Una colazione alla forchetta
Literal translation: a fork breakfast
English meaning: a breakfast composed of cold dishes, for which it is necessary to use a fork
Heather Broster is a graduate with honours in linguistics from the University of Western Ontario. She is an aspiring polyglot, proficient in English and Italian, as well as Japanese, Welsh, and French to varying degrees of fluency. Originally from Toronto, Heather has resided in various countries, notably Italy for a period of six years. Her primary focus lies in the fields of language acquisition, education, and bilingual instruction.
